California cheerleader diagnosed with narcolepsy after symptoms brushed off as teen laziness

A two-time world champion cheerleader from California’s Riverside County struggled to stay awake during the day despite sleeping through the night –– until a study revealed she was suffering from a chronic brain disorder.Rylie Shaw, 22, spent her teenage years running from one doctor to the other with her parents to figure out what was wrong as she could not stay awake, no matter what.“At first, it was brushed off as typical teenage laziness.But I was exhausted all the time.

I had to cancel plans, cut back on cheerleading and miss out on things I enjoyed because my body never felt rested.I could fall asleep anywhere,” she wrote in a Sept.

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Never miss a story Different doctors had different diagnoses –– some said she may have an attention disorder, other said it could be because of depression.She even got blood work done for diabetes as she didn’t want any stone unturned.But, nothing seemed to explain what she was going through.When she was 17, she ended up visiting an ear, nose and throat specialist because she thought “breathing problems might be affecting” her sleep.

“The doctor found that I had a deviated septum and a collapsing nostril, but before discussing surgery, he recommended a sleep study,” she wrote.The sleep study provided clear answers by diagnosing her with idiopathic hypersomnia — a rare neurological disorder marked by extreme, unyielding daytime sleepiness regardless of how much rest she got — which later progressed to narcolepsy.Over time, she developed cataplexy, a condition marked by sudden, conscious muscle weakness triggered by intense emotions.In her case, these episodes were most frequently brought on by a simple sense of relief.“I was heavily involved in cheerleading at ...