INarcolepsy—Isifo Sobuthongo

UEBBA wayengowesifazane osemusha, ophile kahle. Kodwa wayefikelwa ubuthongo njalo​—⁠masinyane, ngaphandle kokuqaphela⁠—​phakathi namahora asemini.

Njengoba iminyaka yayidlula, isimo sakhe saba sibi; wayefikelwa ubuthongo izikhathi eziningana ngosuku. Waqala ukuzwa amazwi nokubona izinto ezingekho ezesabisayo. Wayewisa okwendlu ewuhlaka nje ngaphandle kwesizathu esisobala. Noma ngokushesha izandla zakhe zaziphelelwa futhi awise isikhwama sakhe semali. UEbba waqala ukuzibuza ukuthi ingabe wayegula ngengqondo yini noma wayehlaselwa amademoni.

Ngemva kweminyaka engu-32 ukucindezeleka okungokowelo kukaEbba kwaphumela ekubeni alaliswe esibhedlela. Odokotela bacabanga ukuthi wayenokuphazamiseka kwengqondo futhi baqala ukumelapha ngemilaliso elwisana nalokhu kuphazamiseka kwengqondo. Wasabela kahle ekwelashweni, kodwa nalapho odokotela babengenakuchaza ngokuqondile ukuthi sasiyini isifo sakhe. Futhi lokho kwelashwa kwamshiya ekhathele futhi engazikhathaleli.

Kwadlula iminyaka eyishumi nantathu. Ngolunye usuku umyeni wakhe, uLouis, kwenzeka wafunda isihloko sikamagazini esasixoxa ngabesifazane ababili ababenezimpawu ezifana nezomkakhe. Laliyini igama lalesifo? Inarcolepsy.

Isimo Senarcolepsy

Inarcolepsy iyisifo esibangela ukuba izisulu zayo zihlaselwe ubuthongo kaningana. Umcwaningi wezokulala uWilse B. Webb uyachaza: “Abantu abanenarcolepsy, lapho benza imisebenzi evamile yansuku zonke, ngokushesha nangokuzenzakalelayo bafikelwa ubuthongo obuqhubeka kusukela emizuzwini embalwa kuye ezehlakalweni zemizuzu engu-15.” Lokhu kuhlasela kungafika cishe nganoma yisiphi isikhathi​—⁠phakathi nesifundo, lapho uqhubeka nengxoxo, noma lapho ushayela imoto. Ezinye izimpawu zivame ukuhlanganisa ubuthakathaka bezicubu obungalindelekile, ubuthongo obunamandla, nemibono esabekayo yezinto ezingekho ngokoqobo.

Abanye balinganisela ukuthi iUnited States iyodwa ingase ibe ikhaya lamashumi ezinkulungwane anesifo sobuthongo. Futhi nakuba isifo ngokwaso singesona esisongela ukuphila, ingozi yokulimala okungalindelekile ingengathi sína.

Eminyakeni eminingi odokotela bebengayinaki inarcolepsy bethi iyinkinga nje yengqondo. Izazo zezifo zengqondo zaziyibiza ngokuthi indlela eyamukelwe ukuze kushalazelwe amaqiniso angajabulisi, uhlobo lwesifo sezinzwa, ukuphelelwa ukuzethemba. Nokho, ubufakazi bokuthi inarcolepsy iyisimo esingokomzimba baqala ukunqwabelana. Ngokwesibonelo, kuye kwatholakala ukuthi lesisifo sihlasela imikhaya nokuthi sihlupha ngisho nezinye izinhlobo zezinja. IAmerican Journal of Psychiatry iphetha kanje: “Esikhathini samanje inarcolepsy icatshangelwa ngokuyinhloko njengokuphazamiseka kwesimiso sezinzwa [ubuchopho] kunokuba ibe ukuphazamiseka [okuqala engqondweni].”a

Nokho, ukuphawulwa ngabangane noma amalungu omkhaya “njengovilaphayo” noma ngisho “ohlanyayo” nakho kungase kubangele ukulimala kwengqondo. Kokunye ukuhlolwa kwabangu-24 abaphethwe inarcolepsy, abayizingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu babenezinkinga zengqondo, ezinjengokucindezeleka nokuluthwa utshwala. Lesisifo futhi sakuphazamisa ngokumangalisayo ukuphila kwabo ngezinye izindlela. Kwabesilisa abangu-24 abahlolwa, abangu-18 “babengenakuqashwa emsebenzini.”

Okubangela Izimpawu

Uma unendlela evamile yokulala, phakathi kwemizuzu engu-60 kuya kwengu-90 ngemva kokuzumeka, uyofinyelela izinga lokuphupha elibizwa ngokuthi iREM (Rapid Eye Movement). Nakuba ungaqapheli, izicubu zakho ziphelelwa amandla ngokuphelele phakathi nobuthongo obubizwa ngokuthi iREM. Lokhu ngokusobala kusiza ekusivikeleni ukuba senze lokho esikuphuphayo.

Nokho, inarcolepsy, iphazamisa indlela evamile yeREM. Isiguli esiphethwe inarcolepsy siba sesimweni sokuphupha seREM cishe ngokushesha nje ngemva kokuzumeka. Futhi phakathi nosuku​—⁠empeleni ngaphandle kokuqaphela⁠—​siba nesifiso sokulala futhi ngesikhashana sibe sesimweni seREM. Ngaleyondlela abanye odokotela baye bachaza inarcolepsy “njengesifo sokungasebenzi kahle kweREM.”

Inarcolepsy ingase ngisho ibangele ukuba izimo ezivamile zengqondo nezomzimba zingavumelani. Isiguli singase sivuke ebuthongweni umzimba waso usesesimweni seREM futhi ngokwesabisayo sithole ukuthi asikwazi ukunyakazisa ngisho nesisodwa sezicubu! Noma umzimba waso ungena ebuthongweni obubizwa ngokuthi iREM lapho siphapheme futhi senza imisebenzi yaso yansuku zonke. Ngaphandle kwesizathu esisobala, izicubu zaso ngokushesha ziya ziba buthaka noma ziphelelwe amandla (ukungasebenzi kwezicubu okubizwa ngokuthi icataplexy) kangangokuthi siwe sibe umfunzana phansi. Cishe ezisukela ezingxenyeni ezimbili kwezintathu kuya ezingxenyeni ezintathu kwezine zeziguli eziphethwe inarcolepsy ezibhekana nalezimpawu ezesabisayo.

Cishe noma yini evusa umzwelo​—⁠ukuhleka, intukuthelo, ukwesaba⁠—​ingabangela icataplexy. Incwadi ethi Sleep, ebhalwe uGay Gaer Luce noJulius Segal, ithi: “Abakwazi ukuhleka ihlaya, bathansule abantwana babo ngokucasuka, balile, noma babonise obala imizwa yabo enamandla bangabi buthakathaka ngokoqobo ngokomzwelo futhi bawe njengojeli.”

Izici zobuthongo beREM zingase ngisho zihlasele imicabango yesiguli lapho siphapheme futhi zeleke iphupho elibonakalayo​—⁠noma iphupho elesabisayo⁠—​libe elingokoqobo. Singase sivuke embhedeni, umzimba waso ugogekile esimweni seREM, futhi sizwe amazwi sibone nezinto ezesabisayo. Ukuphupha okunjalo lapho siphapheme (okubizwa ngokuthi ihypnagogic hallucinations) kungase kwenzeke ngisho nasebusuku, futhi cishe ingxenye yazo zonke iziguli zenarcolepsy iba nakho lokho kuphupha.

Kanjalo kuyaqondakala ukuthi ezinye iziguli zenarcolepsy zithambekele ekungahlanganini nabanye ngenxa yokwesaba ukudelelwa ngokuthi “ziyavilapha,” “zigula ngenqondo,” noma “zinamademoni.”

Ukubhekana Nalesisifo

Ngokuvame kakhulu abaphethwe yinarcolepsy bamane bachaze izimpawu zabo ngokuthi zingukukhathala okuvamile noma ukukhathala okungapheli futhi bayehluleka ukufuna usizo lokwelashwa. Ngisho noma belufuna, inarcolepsy ayixilongeki kalula ngaso sonke isikhathi, ikakhulukazi emazingeni ayo okuqala. IAmerican Family Physician ithi: “Iziguli eziphethwe inarcolepsy ziba nezimpawu isilinganiso seminyaka engu-15 ngaphambi kokuba zithole ukuxilongwa okufanele.” Khona-ke, uma unokozela okungapheli phakathi nosuku, welulekwa ukuba ubonane nodokotela futhi ungazami ukuzixilonga wena ngokwakho. Ukuhlolisiswa kungase kuveze inkinga yokugula edinga ukunakekelwa.

Nokho, kuthiwani, uma udokotela eqinisekisa ukuthi okukuphethe inarcolepsy?b Nakuba lesisifo singalapheki, odokotela bathi kunemithi engasiza isiguli ukuba siphile ukuphila okuvamile ngokusesilinganisweni. Izishukumisi zesimiso sezinzwa esiyinhloko zivame ukunikwa isiguli ukuze zisisize ukuba sihlale siphapheme phakathi nosuku. Izinto ezinciphisa ukucindezeleka kwengqondo ziyasetshenziswa ukuba zivimbele izinkinga zecataplexy.

Izindlela eziningi ezintsha nazo ziyazanywa. Abanye abacwaningi bathi umuthi icodeine, owenza ukuba abantu abaningi bozele, unomphumela ohlukile ezigulini zenarcolepsy. Futhi kunethemba elihle ngokuqondene nokucwaningwa kokwelapha okuvame ukubizwa ngokuthi iGHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) engase ibe yithuluzi eliphumelelayo ekuvimbeleni ukozela kwasemini nezimpawu ezihambisana nakho. Yebo, ukwelashwa ngezidakamizwa kungase kuholele ekubeni umlutha noma ekuthembeleni ezidakamizweni futhi kungase kube nemiphumela eyingozi. Ngakho-ke welulekwa ukuba uqaphe futhi ube nolwazi olugcwele lapho kuziwa ekusebenziseni imithi. (IzAga 14:​15) Nokho, udokotela angazinciphisa izingozi ezinjalo ngokuhlola ngokunakekela ukusabela kwesiguli emithini futhi alungise lapho kudingeke khona. Kodwa-ke, akudingekile ukuba umKristu abe nomuzwa wokuthi wephula izimiso zeBhayibheli uma ephuza imithi ngokuqondisa kukadokotela, engayiphuzeli ukuzijabulisa kodwa ukuze enze ngcono lesisimo esingaba yingozi.

Kunezinyathelo eziwusizo futhi ongazithatha. Yamukela iqiniso lokuthi unesifo esingathi sína kanye nemingcele esikubekela yona. (IzAga 11:⁠2) Ukushayela, ukuqondisa umshini, noma ngisho nokubhukuda kungase kube yingozi kakhulu. Ungase futhi ucabangele ukushintsha umsebenzi wakho noma ukuthatha umhlala-phansi.

Uma isimo sakho singesiphakathi nendawo uma kuqhathaniswa, kungakusiza ukuthatha isihlwathi kaningana phakathi nosuku. Singanciphisa ukuba nokufikelwa ubuthongo ngezikhathi ezingafanele. Futhi uma ukuveza imizwelo enamandla kubangela ukuba buthaka kwezicubu, kungase kudingeke ukuba ufunde ukubamba imizwa yakho ngetomu. Yebo, wonke amaKristu kumelwe alawule umoya wawo (IzAga 16:​32) Kodwa ukugwema konke ukuvezwa kwemizwa kudinga umzamo ongaphezu kovamile! Kungase kudingeke ukuba uzikhumbuze njalo ukuthi ukuphila nempilo kusengozini. Abathandekayo bakho nabo bangakusekela kakhulu uma beye basizwa ukuba baqonde isimo sakho nemingcele esingase siyilethe.

UEbba, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni, ekugcineni waxilongwa kahle futhi wathola imithi emsizayo. Futhi nakuba isifo sakhe siye sambangela iminyaka eminingi yokuhlupheka, uthola induduzo ngokwazi ukuthi wayengahlanyi futhi engesona isisulu sokuhlaselwa amademoni. Futhi, uyazi ukuthi ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu “abakhé khona abayikusho ukuthi: Ngiyagula.” (Isaya 33:​24) Isifo sobuthongo esibizwa ngokuthi inarcolepsy siyobe sesingasekho phakade.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 20]

Ophethwe i“narcolepsy” angase afikelwe ubuthongo ngisho naphakathi nengxoxo