Many MOONS Memories

Today was wonderful (and exhausting). Approximately one year after making it to my first MOONS-MN meeting, I presented my story. I also shared the many online resources that have been such a tremendous help in my journey. I honestly feel like the presentation went extremely well.

Initially, the attendance looked to be low, but by the end of the meeting, the entire room was full. Even better, we had some returning members who had been unable to make the last few meetings. We also had two brand new people. One member informed me that he had been present when the Minnesota Narcolepsy Association was formed in the late seventies. I am super excited to work with him to get others from the earlier group re-connected to this newer version of the Minnesota support group.

I also must confess that I enjoyed sharing my own story with other PWNs. I find such power in speaking about my condition with peers who truly "get it." The many nodding heads throughout the entire presentation definitely affirmed my experiences. Because MOONS, this blog, the Narcolepsy Network, and Facebook are so intertwined in my journey, all of my comments brought floods of memories into my head. I found myself quite emotional as I reflected on my initial experiences with the support group on Facebook. The knowledge that only one year had passed since I first attended a MOONS meeting stunned me.

I have made great connections online, but the core people at MOONS at so dear to me. My head spins trying to remember coping with narcolepsy without having them in my life. Yet, that was the reality for me during the first nine months after my diagnosis. Those months were so dark and difficult, but I survived. That initial meeting inspired me to join Narcolepsy Network and to attend the national conference. While I still know that narcolepsy challenges my patience and limits every single day, I have so much more hope. My online support is part of that, but MOONS itself has done more for me than anything else. I am blessed to know these other persons with narcolepsy.