Exhausted excitement

I am rapidly approaching the one year anniversary of this blog. One key event reminding me of that reality is the annual WAFC (Washington Area Frisbee Club) Fools Fest. Today was the first day of the tournament. One year ago, although I knew that things might be getting better at my job, I felt tremendous stress from my narcolepsy. I also did not play in the tournament because my knee felt like a disaster. I honestly believed that knee surgery was in my future.

Fortunately, some physical therapy significantly improved my knee, and I eventually found MOONS-Minnesota and the Narcolepsy Network. But, immediately after last year's Fools Fest, I began exploring Facebook and MySpace, finding my first sources of narcolepsy support. Then, I began this blog, and my life has improved significantly.

Many of the things have brightened for me in the last year, but others have dimmed. One of the most difficult "losses" is the reality that I cannot play ultimate frisbee again for my competitive club team. The time and energy required is more than I can afford to expend. While I know that my decision is absolutely correct, I continue to feel the emptiness that it leaves.

Thus, this year's Fools Fest has been on my mind as this event has approached. I had desperately hoped that I could play some this year, but my complete lack of exercise has had me worried. Today, the day of reckoning, finally arrived. Yesterday, my wife and I had a much longer travel experience than we had planned. Our plane had engine problems, forcing us to arrive hours later than we had planned. We did get sleep, but it was the fourth or fifth day in a row that I only got in one Xyrem dose.

When play started, we only had a handful of men. I played 3-4 points in the first half and nearly collapsed. Fortunately, we picked up a few more men, but I also recovered and continued to play. While I am sore tonight and only played 4-5 points per game, I am overjoyed that I played fairly well today. I threw for a score and managed to score a goal. It was wonderful to discover that I still have decent ability. I do not have nearly the stamina that I once did, but I held my own on the field. We will see what tomorrow brings, but it is refreshing to know that I can still enjoy this fantastic game, even if it is in limited doses.