When the Doctor has a Sleeping Problem Too By Rosei Skipper, MD
D
r. Luis Ortiz always knew he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up – it was only a matter of getting into school and picking a field. He thought maybe surgery – picturing his future self working long hours in sterile operating rooms, operating long into the night. But Dr. Ortiz’s body had a different plan. His parents had always noticed his sleepiness. Beginning around the age of ten, Dr. Ortiz frequently nodded off at school, while doing homework or even just sitting watching tv. But visits to his pediatrician and medical tests couldn’t find any cause. A bright and avid student, he managed to do well in school, oftentimes “reading far ahead in the textbooks,” so he would always have an answer ready when called on. He may have fallen asleep a lot in class, but he did so well in school, who could really worry?
socializing, and working. There was also a description of a collection of symptoms known as cataplexy: sudden loss of muscle tone that some patients with narcolepsy experience. Stunned, Dr. Ortiz thought to himself “That’s ME!” A visit to a Sleep Medicine specialist and sleep studies quickly confirmed the diagnosis. Dr. Ortiz had Narcolepsy, a rare but not unheard of sleep disorder which often begins in childhood and generally persists for life. The mystery of his sleepiness was solved.
My life was changed when I received the correct diagnosis.
It wasn't until college that Dr. Ortiz’s excessive sleepiness finally caught up to him. With the increased demands of a full class load, extracurriculars, and a busy social schedule, there suddenly wasn’t enough time in the day. His grades plummeted, and suddenly his dream of becoming a doctor was in serious jeopardy. Devastated, he withdrew from his classes and arranged for a lighter course load so he could get back on track. Fortunately, one of those classes happened to be Introduction to Abnormal Psychology. A SUDDEN INSIGHT One afternoon Dr. Ortiz was flipping through his textbook, reading ahead as he often did to prepare. Suddenly, he happened upon a vignette about narcolepsy. In the story, a man was described as being sleepy since childhood, of falling asleep while studying, 22 | Autumn 2021 | Daytime Sleepiness
A LONG ROAD FORWARD The diagnosis may have been made, but Dr. Ortiz still had challenges ahead. Although there have been many advancements in the understanding and treatment of narcolepsy, Dr. Ortiz emphasizes that it is very important for patients to have “realistic expectations for treatment. Sometimes people think once they are treated they will be superhuman, and accomplish everything! That’s just not realistic for anyone.”
