Ever see someone you were attracted to and felt weak at the knees? Chances are, Kirsty Brown from England has felt it even worse.
Kirsty has a rare brain condition that'll legitimately cause her to collapse whenever she sees someone she's attracted to. You can imagine how that makes outings even more difficult. She needs to avoid eye contact while out, which can also give off the wrong impression.
The disease is called cataplexy, and Kirsty has had up to five attacks per day. But sometimes it can get out of control. As she revealed to the Mirror, bad days can often include 50 attacks. That means that it's hard for her to get outside and live a standard life.
Kirsty is also a mom, which makes the disorder even harder to handle at times — because she needs to be there for her kids. "It's so embarrassing," she admitted to the Mirror. "I was out shopping once and I saw someone that looked alright, and my legs just went and I had to cling onto my cousin for support."
"If I see someone attractive, my legs just go so I try not to put myself in situations where that could happen, or I try to keep my eyes down for my own safety," she continued. The situation must also be scary for those around her who might not realize that Kirsty is experienced with the situation at hand. But, attractive people aren't the only trigger — just one of the strangest.
Cataplexy is tied into narcolepsy, which is a chronic sleep disorder. Narcolepsy is often broken into two distinctions — narcolepsy with cataplexy causes muscle weakness at the sign of a trigger. Narcolepsy without cataplexy just causes sleepiness and is seen as being much less of an issue.
The disorder is not only embarrassing at times but also dangerous if an attack happens near stairs. "Considering it's a sleep disorder, we don't sleep much and when we do it isn't a deep sleep so if I'm really tired, I have more attacks than usual," Kirsty said. "I can have an attack at the top of a flight of stairs if they're steep because I don't like heights."
Right now, she's trying her hardest to best accommodate her situation. Since she stays at home with her children, it's best that she doesn't have stairs to worry about: "I'm trying to move to a new house that doesn't have stairs or where I can have a stairlift," she admitted.
Attraction isn't the only trigger. Laughter can also cause a cataplexy attack, which is very scary — especially if you happen to know a lot of funny people. "Anger and laughter trigger it and me and my sisters are either arguing or making each other laugh because they're the funniest people I know," she said.
Luckily, her sisters are supportive. As in, they'll only try to make her laugh if they know Kirsty isn't in a tough spot. "I think they know what they're doing sometimes, if they know I won't hurt myself then they'll make me laugh," she said. While cataplexy seems like a disabling disorder, it's hard to imagine a life without laughter.
She can even trigger it herself, if she has a funny moment. Shouting or noise from a traffic jam can also set it off. Little things you might not realize can be triggers for cataplexy, meaning that Kirsty must live a life that's more cautious than most.
The attraction trigger has reportedly been somewhat under control, which Kirsty has mixed feelings about. "I haven't had an attraction that strong recently that it would trigger an attack which on one hand is brilliant but also a bit sad because I'd like to feel that attracted to someone," she admitted. "There's been times when I've been arguing, and I've collapsed which does put an end to the argument."
Kirsty was born with the narcolepsy gene. She says that her symptoms started early due to an injury she had as a child. No matter what, it would have shown itself eventually. Trying to find work has been especially hard, as not many employers will likely understand the limitations she has.
Kirsty seems fully aware that she might not be the most desirable candidate. "It has been a struggle because I brought my kids up on my own and it's hard to find a job when you need to explain that you could collapse at any point," she said. But hopefully, with more awareness, employers will better understand her condition.
It's also likely something she has to disclose on first dates — especially if she finds her date to be very attractive. At the very least, her dates would be fully aware of her feelings due to the disorder. All in all, it looks like Kirsty is so used to living life like this that she understands, and has come to terms with, many of its complications.
Narcolepsy with cataplexy happens in about 10% of the 135,000 to 200,000 people first diagnosed with standard narcolepsy. While Kirsty may feel alone, there are others out there who understand her struggle. Hopefully, she's taking part in support groups. Even though she's been handling all of this on her own since childhood, it's always good to have others who understand the emotional turmoil.
Learning about disorders like this is a good reminder that many people in this world suffer in silence. It's always good to learn more about the different genetic conditions out there. Hopefully, Kirsty can find true love without suffering from too many attacks, and it'll be with an individual who's dedicated to learning more about her rare condition.
