‘Bubbly’ teenager Billie Hodgson has to avoid any strong emotions due to a rare brain condition which causes her to pass out.
That means the 17-year-old collapses every time she laughs due to cataplexy and so Billie, from Sheffield, has to avoid her funnier friends.
The teenager, who is currently studying at sixth form, is forced to steer clear of certain joker friends which makes life really difficult at school.
She explained: ‘I’m a bubbly person so to go from that to feeling like I can’t laugh is really strange. I feel like I can’t be me.
‘My friends try not to be funny and if they make me laugh they feel like they have to apologise.
‘When I’m with them, I tend not to be as involved in funny situations to avoid cataplexy and especially in front of those who are not as familiar with it.
‘We joke about it like friends do because t’s a funny thing in itself, and I have to make light of it.
‘If we’re eating and everyone is laughing around the table, everyone tries to stop but then the silence makes you laugh.’
Though Billie tries to make light of it, it is a serious condition that leaves her unable to move.
She continued: ‘You have no control over your body. I can’t speak or respond to anything – but the most frustrating thing is that I’m conscious.
‘I shake, and I can’t hold things.
‘General excitement triggers it, and since I was diagnosed the triggers have become more sensitive.’
Billie, who lives at home with mum, Sharon, 49 and sister, Harley, 14, was only diagnosed with cataplexy in March this year despite finding herself on the floor every time she laughed throughout her school years.
She says her first memory of cataplexy is collapsing in the dinner hall at secondary school when she was around 14.
There is no cure for cataplexy and the only available treatment involves taking daily medication to try and control it.
Billie added: ‘I remember once walking through school with a friend and we were laughing, then I just fell to my knees.
‘At first we didn’t think it was that serious and the doctor told me everyone shakes when they laugh.
‘But when I was diagnosed, I felt mixed emotions.
‘I was relieved that I finally knew what it was and could then start treatment, but at the same time scared because I didn’t know how much it would affect my life.
‘It’s also a lifelong illness which meant it was quite a big thing to accept.’
What is cataplexy?
Typical symptoms of cataplexy are:
- the jaw dropping
- the head slumping down
- legs collapsing uncontrollably
- slurred speech
- double vision or finding it difficult to focus
Cataplexy attacks are usually triggered by an emotion, such as excitement, laughter, anger or surprise.
Attacks can last from a few seconds to several minutes.
Some people with narcolepsy have cataplexy attacks once or twice a year, while others have them several times a day.
As well as forcing her to avoid social situations, Billie’s dreams of becoming a midwife have been thwarted by the rare illness as it means she can lose control of her hands.
She now wants to speak out to bust myths around the unusual disorder.
‘It’s stopping me from doing what I really want to do and now I don’t know what to apply for at university.
‘I’m anxious about going out and I’m not allowed to drive.
‘But I want to speak out and raise awareness because it’s not something that many people know about.
‘I want to show cataplexy isn’t like what people stereotypically think – it can have a major impact on someone’s life.’
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/13/teenager-who-faints-every-time-she-laughs-due-to-rare-brain-condition-has-to-avoid-funny-friends-12050733/
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