i know it seems like this should not be news to any of you that know me but yesterday i travelled north for 4 hours with my mum screaming at me for directions just so i could get a firm diagnosis.

The day started off rather badly - i managed about 4 hours worth of sleep so i took a nap at 10 am in the hope that i would feel better, i did but then my mum was late home and we had to be at my appointment for 1600hrs (yes i'm using army talk). I knew it was going to be a difficult trip so i printed some maps off and hoped that they would help, they didn't - they were more or less, completely useless.

I don't know if it is because my mum is (thankfully) a woman but she can't seem to drive and read road signs - i have never met anyone else in the world who has this disability - i have nicknamed it 'general incompetence' i think most people suffer from it to a greater or lesser extent but my mum seems to suffer worse when it involves cars. She was constantly screaming at me to tell her which way to go, knowing fully that i lacked a coherent map as well as an indepth knowledge about the area north of Leeds but south of Hartlepool - i know how much do i suck, right?

it would not have been so bad had she not persistantly asked, 'does this look right to you?' ... i don't know mum, like you i have never ventured to middlesborough before.

her assumption of my super human abilities aside, we did manage to find our way to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough where i signed in then fell asleep, i am not sure how long i was asleep for but mum woke me up when it was time to go and see Dr Reading, who, henceforth shall be referred to as SuperDoc.

SuperDoc was a charming man who very quickly established with me, his belief, that there was no question about it: i had Narcolepsy. thank you!! i have had so many years of people telling me one thing and another and then there was SuperDoc who seems to genuinley have an interest in this field of medicine and was up to date and talked intelligently about the issues with N. He didnt think i was fakking and at no pointquestioned the diagnosis, he was so great that had it been appropriate for me to hug SuperDoc, i would have, as it was it was not appropriate, plus being English i try not to emotionally connect with people.

He mentioned a series of drug alternatives such as Xyrem as well as mixing amphetimines in with what i am taking as well as his belief that the MSLT and bloodscreen are terrible tests for N and C. he also mentioned the nasal spray that was linked to on this website that would see a nose spray consisting of hypocretins repalcing other N and C drugs.

all in all this visit was very good, SuperDoc rocks!!

Sam

**apologies for any spelling mistakes, it is midnight and i want to go to sleep but i felt compelled to write this down. The author also realises the problems with placing a doctor in such high regard and hopes Karma feels like leaving this one alone**