What Does Cataplexy Feel Like For Me

Cataplexy, it is quite the unique condition. It manifest itself in different ways for different people. For some it lasts seconds, with almost complete paralysis. For some it can go for upward of an hour. The latter dedcribes mine. For most attacks are triggered by emotions. For others, they can just come out of the blue. Again, the latter would be me. Most would call my attacks atypical. Either way, no matter how they manifest for different individuals, it is quite debilitating.
While I can't speak for other people with Narcolepsy, I can attempt to give some insight on what it is like for me. When a Cataplexy Attack occurs, you are essentially losing muscle control. You have no say so whatsoever over your bodies actions. I mentioned earlier, for some it is complete paralysis. Mine have been called mild because I do have some control. I know when they are coming and I can lay or sit down to keep from falling. Now while some say mild, there is nothing mild about how horrible my body feels. You would think losing muscle control means losing feeling. That would be an emphatic NO! 
Imagine feeling like someone snapped their finger and suddenly every muscle in every limb just turned into some Jello like mass. Now imagine that not quite solid not quite liquid mass washing over ever nerve endings in your limbs like liquid on exposed electric wiring. Now, throw in overwhelming fatigue that encompasses every fiber of your being and then add in the utter feeling of helplessness because there is absolutely nothing you can do that will make it stop, other than just lay there hoping with everything in you that it will be over soon. That is what Cataplexy is like for me.

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