Okay, so yesterday, after reading the article about the “Sleeping Beauty” in the UK and doing some internet research, we’ve realized that my husband has KLS.  We’re so excited to finally have a name for it!  He had his first episode when he was 15 after a bout of bronchitis, and the following episodes were pretty intense and frequent.  Since we met in 2003, he’s had at least one or two a year, lasting for 7-10 days.  He’s 33 now, and had his last episode a few months ago (when he was 32).  His episodes are usually triggered by a lack of proper sleep, stress, or both.  While he’s been physically present for some pretty major events, he’s missed so much because of this (including the birth of one of our sons).

Obviously, when he first tried to explain it to me, I just didn’t get it.  Over time, I’ve come to understand what he’s going through a little better, although having to explain to his employers why he couldn’t make it in to work for a week has never been easy for me.  (I probably did more harm than good, actually.)  Now that we know what it is, it will be so much easier to explain to people, and if nothing else just to say, “He has KLS.  It’s hard to explain.  Google it.”  :)  I’ve gotten a recommendation for a doctor nearby who might be able to diagnose him, but I’m expecting it to be pretty expensive.  And at the end of the day, if there’s nothing they’ll be able to do to treat it, it might not be worth it to pursue it anyway.

So yeah, that’s us:)  I’m sure my husband will be around the forums soon!