Hello, everyone!  Some of you know me and all of this but just in case you don't know/remember  I am posting ME - LIVE AND IN PERSON to help us all know me better.

     First off, I would like to find an emotional that has a smile with wide-open eyes.  That would be nice, however, I don't know how to do it or where to find it, so I will be content with this one for now.

     My name is Jean S.  I go by many names, and I am a recovering alcoholic/addict.  I was diagnosed with N in 1999, and then in 2000 my doctor (with the help of MSLTs) confirmed that C was also prevailant.  I grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin, USA.  I currently reside in WhiteWater, Wisconsin, USA.  At 37 years young I have been involved in a 12 step program for 11years.  Currently, I am prescribed to take 300mg of Provigil in the morning and a total of 6gm of Xyrem before going to sleep in the evening (this is subject to change come Feb 9th, I go to see Dr. Cook [sleep, pulminary specialist in Janesville, WI] for a re-eval of what is working and what is not).

     Hey, Question?, is it legal for me to disclose my doctor's name?  I know it is - I was just trying to lighten up a little bit - ya know because It really has to be hard to be a doctor - I mean not being able to talk about a patient (by name) with anyone other than the staff.  Man, that has to suck.

     Any way, back to me, oh yeah!  What does one say on one of these board things?  I am just sure that I will be able to give my own experience, strength, and hope when it comes to answering something that I have read - but for real I have a hard time (within me) of just talking all about me all at one time.  But, as long as I am awake, and alert enough I might just as well get on with it, right?

     The other names that I have been called (on a continuous basis - and can actually post legally) are: SureThing, EagleArrowWoman, Shadow, (my birth name) Jean, and sometimes I get called Sybol -mmmmmmmmm, wonder what that is all about.  Actually, I don't wonder, I know - Sybol is because I get very passionate in speach, and body language - "they" say that my words and actions can come across to others as offensive - I tell you this because I am now going to apologize in advance for if I say something to anyone and ya'll find it to be abrasive, abusive, or offensive.  I am apologizing up front only for the times that I do not sincerely intend to come across in that fashion.  If I intend to be any of the above ways I will let the group(s) or individual(s) know that that is my intention.  There now we are all on the same level.  Common ground - that is where I like to be - on the same planet (the same plateu) as the people/person I am addressing.  No hiearchy for me - gotta all have the same eye level.  I am thinking that is why I have decided to start communicating with others that share my afflictions (we'll call them) - because no matter how old you are or how tall you are we all sit at the same eye level - when we read the messages on the posts.

     O.K., for real, back to me.  I have lived with this "disease" for as long as I can remember.  When I was a younger girl (age - physically) my parents took me in to see a pediatrician (probably spelled that wrong - sorry).  My daddy would tell the doctor that "There is something seriously wrong with this child, she sleeps way too much.  And, if she doesn't get between 12 - 14 hours of sleep at night she is unbearable to live with."  My parents sent me through every test that they could think of.  I remember going through some of the tests like the EEG, EKG, (and going to sleep as the room would start to spin), the goiter test (I don't remember the name of) and a whole bunch of others (never a sleep study of any kind).  The result was "that doctor" telling my parents "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH HER, SHE IS JUST FAT AND LAZY". 

     Talk about Ouch!  I spent most of my live induldging in everything I could just to try to proove that HE was wrong - I may have been fat (and that I truly could not control, as I tried everything from starvation to bulemea - more than likely that is spelled wrong), but I certainly was NOT LAZY!  and if HE would just pay attention he would see that.

     I was diagnosed because of my back (lower back actually).  I had spent 60 consecutive weeks in physical therapy.  When the specialist confessed that there is nothing more that we could do for me at that time, he started to ask me about my dreams.  That is how I was originally diagnosed.  2 totalled vehicles (both were my fault - single car accident - and I was stone sober just fell asleep), and the ER people couldn't put it together. Nope, it took a back specialist for me.  I was having to be moved physically first thing in the morning before I could move at all.  Thankfully, my husband was there to help me - whenever I asked for the help.  That was a very humbling experience for me to have to ask for help just to be able to sit up and put my feet on the floor.

     Thank you, but I believe this long enough - for now.  Ya'll have a wonderful day, I think I might just go take a nap now.  Happy dreaming!  Love and Respectfully, Jean