S4E5: Running Half Marathons With Narcolepsy: Jayson’s Story From Taiwan

In this powerful international episode of Narcolepsy Navigators, we sit down with Jayson, a PE teacher, endurance runner, and advocate living with Narcolepsy Type 1 with cataplexy in Taiwan.

Diagnosed as a teenager after repeatedly falling asleep in class, Jayson grew up navigating stigma, academic pressure, and deep misunderstandings — especially within a culture where performance and discipline are highly valued. Despite this, he has built a life centered around movement, self-awareness, and intentional boundaries, even running half marathons while managing narcolepsy.

Jayson shares how suppressing emotions to avoid cataplexy affected his identity, why journaling and therapy changed his life, and how he re-designed his career to protect his health. He also gives rare insight into Taiwan’s healthcare system, cultural nap norms, military service exemptions, and what true balance looks like when energy is limited.

This episode is honest, reflective, and deeply human — especially for anyone who has ever been told they “don’t look sick.”

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What it’s like being diagnosed with narcolepsy as a teen in Taiwan
• How teachers misread symptoms as laziness or lack of motivation
• The emotional cost of suppressing joy to avoid cataplexy
• Why Jayson chose flexible work over traditional career paths
• How exercise dramatically improves his sleep quality
• The role of journaling and therapy in emotional survival
• Cultural differences around naps and productivity
• How plant-based eating helps him manage daytime sleepiness
• Why narcolepsy is still not classified as a disability in Taiwan
• His honest answer to the “red button” question

Why This Episode Matters

Narcolepsy doesn’t look the same in every country — and Jayson’s story highlights how culture, healthcare systems, and expectations shape the lived experience of sleep disorders. This conversation challenges stereotypes and proves that strength doesn’t always look like pushing harder — sometimes it looks like resting smarter.

New Episode Out Now: https://www.napsforlife.com/podcast/episode/7f587a5c/s4e5-running-half-marathons-with-narcolepsy-jaysons-story-from-taiwan

About the Guest

Jayson is a PE teacher, endurance runner, and advocate from Taipei, Taiwan, living with Narcolepsy Type 1 with cataplexy. He uses movement, structure, and self-reflection to manage his condition and raise awareness across cultures.

Transcript

Jayson 7.1.26
Kerly: [00:00:00] Hello, welcome. You're listening to season four of Narcolepsy Navigators, brought to you by NAPS For Life CIC. Narcolepsy Navigators is a podcast for raising awareness of these fascinating illnesses through a deep dive into the lives and individuals living with narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia and Klein Levin syndrome.
Kerly: I'm Kerly Bwoga the founder of Naps for Life, CIC, and welcome to our stories.
Kerly: Hi everyone. Welcome to Narcolepsy Navigators. I'm Kerly your host. I have narcolepsy, type one, 
Liz: and I'm Liz, your co-host. And I also have narcolepsy with cataplexy. 
Kerly: And today we have Jason and welcome to his story. 
Jayson: How was my weekend? It was great. I just ran half marathon this morning and I took a nap afterward, right straight away and then had my lunch with friends. So we celebrate a little bit and I head home to get more rest and I just had my dinner finished and now I'm [00:01:00] sitting here with two of the people here.
Jayson: K and Liz? Yes. 
Liz: Yeah. Amazing. You ran a half marathon this morning.
Kerly: That's so cool. Did you beat the, your time from before?
Jayson: You mean did I reach my goal? 
Kerly: Yes. Did you reach a goal?
Jayson: Yes, I think I'm satisfied with the result. The weather was perfect and my body , was in good condition and. Yeah, I'm satisfied with it.
Kerly: And Liz, how was your weekend? 
Liz: My weekend has been good. It's been a mixture of socializing and relaxing, which is what I needed because my week was super busy. I had two work events after work as well as being in the office every day. So I was pretty exhausted. And this week, so annoying. I couldn't nap for two of the days when I was at work. So it meant that, ' cause I usually have my lunchtime nap, which gets me through the rest of the day. But I couldn't nap 'cause I just couldn't fall asleep. Which meant that I was pretty tired for the rest of the afternoon. And [00:02:00] then I had evening events too, so that was a bit tricky. But I've managed to have a bit more rest this weekend, so I'm feeling better. 
Kerly: That's good. 
Liz: How has your week or weekend been currently? 
Kerly: Yeah, the weekend's been okay. , Went to church yesterday, so I'm in the countryside in Kenya, , in this town called Kendu Bay. We walked to church, which I haven't done since we've been here. Cause dad usually drives and he just recently had operations, so he is recovering. So we walked instead and it was like a mini hike. By the time I got to church, I was just like sweating, pouring down with sweat, even though I carried, even though I was carrying an umbrella to shave me from the sun. It's up uphill and rocks and stuff. I was just like ready for a nap as soon as I got there. 
Liz: It must be quite hard to stay awake in church sometimes if it's, if you're just like sitting and listening to someone talk and it's really hot. 
Kerly: And then today just resting and having the interview.
Liz: Nice. We all made it. From three different countries. We're doing well to be here.
Jayson: Even though the time zone is [00:03:00] different . 
Kerly: Jayson can you please tell the audience your name, what country you're residing in your age, if you feel comfortable, and what year you were diagnosed.
Jayson: Hi, I'm Jason. I'm from Taiwan. I live in Taipei. At the age of 10, I got diagnosis because, my teacher said that I always fell asleep at class. And then my mom started to take me to, go a lot of examination and then blood test. Then I was quickly diagnosed with narcolepsy type one, with Catap lexy. I'm 27 now, so it's been 17 years, I am living with it . 
Kerly: You were diagnosed quite young. I think you are the second youngest person we've interviewed that has been diagnosed so young. 
Jayson: Wait, let me check. I think the age might be around, so what is the age for middle school? 
Liz: Around 14. 
Jayson: So 13, 14. Yeah, not 10. 
Kerly: But that's still quite young. 
Liz: You were [00:04:00] a young teen when you were diagnosed.
Jayson: Yes. It was pretty young, I have no idea what happened to me. It was like, I just sleep all the time. Wow. In the wrong time. Yes. And wake up at the wrong time. I wake up at night and don't know why I'm waking up in the middle of the night and then I just had nothing to do, and I start watching tv, then I fall asleep. Then it's kind of weird that my daily routine and then I have no idea what happened to me. 
Kerly: Yeah. 
Liz: Why, and what did your teachers think? Because you were obviously in school at that time. 
Jayson: Yes. So I was, teachers thinks that i'm unmotivated and I'm just not interested in school, and I'm not a good student, and especially in Asian culture, academic, very important.
Kerly: And how did that, that make you feel? 
Jayson: I feel like innocent and I feel like, I cannot control it, but it. Back then I didn't know. I just wanted , to sleep, it wasn't like I can control it. I just feel like, [00:05:00] because I also do sports when doing sports, I don't feel that, I always feel energetic when doing sports, and sometimes I have some symptoms. I feel like I might be just having, , sickness or something, but I never thought it was narcolepsy. I don't know how to deal with it.
Kerly: Had you ever heard of narcolepsy before? Or your mom, had she ever heard of it before? 
Jayson: No, but, we have a, like a very close doctor friend, and she gave the advice to my mom that it might be the case. So she took me to the doctor and then we had the examination.
Kerly: So do you think if you didn't have that doctor friend, it would've taken you longer to be diagnosed? .
Jayson: Definitely yeah. It can definitely be much longer so I will be seeing also like a student that doesn't like studying and then just sleep all the time in classes and then, yeah, that would be horrible for me.
Liz: What's the understanding of narcolepsy like [00:06:00] in Taiwan?
Jayson: What do you mean by that? You mean like the acknowledge or like how people understand that or how many people know that? 
Kerly: Both yeah. 
Jayson: I think it's rare so I searched before, I think the population of narcolepsy, it's one in a thousand people. I think we have the population of Taiwan is. 3, 2, 0, 0, 30 200 million population. So around 3000 and more population in Taiwan. But it had never been official identified. Like it is estimated. Most of the people don't know, that there is a disease that like this exist.
Jayson: So the hard thing is like cannot tell a person from their appearance, if they have this. Narcolepsy. So most of the time if I don't tell them they won't notice that. Like even in middle school, even in high school, I didn't tell anyone about it and I had a lot of stress because I give myself a lot of [00:07:00] expectation to be excellent in class.
Jayson: I don't know how to explain to people like, what is narcolepsy? I have no idea how to speak up and how to tell the story that I have. And it's , it's really like the pressure that I had, it was only with myself. Because if I don't tell them, they'll think that, why would you do the, the behavior that the people are lazy. So it's a lot of pressure when I don't speak out.
Kerly: I understand. So when you were in high school, by that time, were you on medication?
Jayson: I did. You did Like first time, in the beginning.
Jayson: In the middle school. So I was done in middle school. And at the three the three years, like the time I started to get medication, I wasn't really sure because the knowledge that I have for this disease I wasn't doing research enough. Like I wasn't told enough of the, this disease, so I just thought that I can do it without the medication. I thought it was like something like coughing or something, I can solve it.
Kerly: [00:08:00] So when you got to high school, you already started medication? Yes so did you feel differently? 
Jayson: At the high school, I started the medication, so I feel much more better and that's maybe the one of the reason why that people can't tell. Because I think when I get the medication 80% of my symptoms have been solved, and I only left as cataplexy. And, with the data and sleep sleepiness and data sleepiness happens so fast that even me, I don't realize that happened. Hard for people to tell. Yes. Trying to suppress my emotion. So I won't have the cataplexy trigger. But like right now, for me four years ago , I met a doctor and then she tell me there's a medication for it. So I felt great after that, even if I had cataplexy during the day. 
Liz: What kind of emotions trigger your cataplexy?
Jayson: Like strong emotions. Strong emotions. Yes. Like pure happiness. Or anger or [00:09:00] excitement, like the thing that really worth celebrated or , like really strong emotions. That is, I think it's very important as a human to have. And yeah, I feel really, like, I'm in a shadow like that. Cause I, in the three years, four years maybe that high school, like, in order not to have cataplexy, so I give up my emotion. And I feel like, who am I? Like I'm a human. I don't have emotion. That's, yeah. 
Kerly: I was gonna, I was gonna ask you that, that was that difficult. Yeah. 'cause then you weren't really being yourself like you were.
Kerly: I wasn't being myself at all. Like I feel like I'm soulless. Yeah. It was really, when I think back at, I feel that way, but during that time I was just trying , to survive the very best version of myself. So what about your, sorry, let's, sorry. I was gonna say, what about your friends? How did you tell any of your friends, how did they like respond? Do I tell my friends? Yes. , There was a, so back then I, in the, when I study in the [00:10:00] university I quit in the sophomore. So I went to Germany and that's why I had learned German. I met the, a family, German family. I was doing a works exchange there, and then I really trying to cause, I had a lot of time, free time there to think about, what am I going next? What I'm looking for life. So , I was at a time that I really want to know about more of this narcolepsy. And I started to do the research translation to that me be more clear about what happened to this disease and what can lead to. And I started to write down how I should explain to my family or friends, like how should I explain it? Because before that, I don't even know how to explain. And I think that takes practice, a lot of practice. And I started doing writing, online posting, I think one the project sleep helps me a lot. Because . I got a lot of material online [00:11:00] and also, I speak English, so I was trying to get the material and then transfer into my language, like I speak Chinese, Mandarin. And I started to share, it's a shared online. My friends are asking like questions, so I get to practice how I'm gonna explain it. And for me now, it's, like I, I was trying to explain to a lot of people, but it's like every time I go through it with different people, so I have to so right now I'm trying, just trying, because some people are just trying to know, like people just ask why.
Kerly: Like they don't really want to know. Like they just ask why. So I only explain to like close people, like nowadays to, to be more in detail, like everything. Otherwise I would just say it is like a sleep disorder. Yes. I would just say like this. Yeah. 
Liz: Is there a stigma about narcolepsy or disabilities or health conditions at all in Taiwan? Or people are quite accepting of those things? 
Jayson: Yes. [00:12:00] So this has been like one of my worries and then like the things that I've been thinking about a lot, so narcolepsy it hasn't been categorized in, a disability.
Kerly: Ah, uh,
Jayson: I think that there's a rate there needs to be like certain amount of people that is winning in some number. And then I think one of the doctors said to me that, and he's doing all the, narcolepsy research, and he create the narcolepsy association in Taiwan. He, he said that it wasn't able to be categorized in disabilities. So I think it's really hard for people that wasn't able to being categorized in this, but because obviously like people with Narcolepsy needs a lot of help. Like it was invisible . So I can tell it's really hard. It's really sad it wasn't able to be qualified in that category. So I still have no idea. Yeah. And it might [00:13:00] be in the future, so
Kerly: Hopefully in the future. 
Jayson: How about in other country? Because I wasn't very understand what it is in the, narcolepsy in other country will be. Is it also like this, 
Kerly: In Britain when I was diagnosed at 18, it wasn't categorized then as a disability, but now it is it took many years.
Liz: Do you think that because it's not recognized as a disability in Taiwan, that people don't understand the full impact of it when you tell them that you have this condition? 
Jayson: Yes, definitely. so I think if it is it's being categorized in this it will be like people will know a lot more because for example, like parkinson's, yeah. Like people get to know a lot more because it was, it will be advertised like in, in news or, in some ways that media is gonna be like going through a lot with it, but it wasn't in this case. Surprise, mostly and they're just surprised [00:14:00] because I looked like , a sporty guy. I looked like a sporty guy. And then it seems to be like, it's like complete opposite to Yeah. It might look like they'll be very shocked and, but some people that is I think it depends on what kind of people I was talking to, but mostly like they are shocked. And there are surprise most of the time.
Liz: How have your family dealt with your diagnosis and supporting you with your condition? 
Jayson: First of all, my mom took me to the doctor. I think that is like most helpful thing that I got from her. And then I think, she worries for me a lot, but , however that, I think , she wasn't know how to. Do with it because she never had it happened. She don't know who to ask. Especially the community was very private in Taiwan. The narcolepsy community was a little bit, private. It wasn't like people can search online in Google and then they can find it. It was just the doctor creating a, like a private [00:15:00] chat for the people who had only had narcolepsy name. They will have discussion in it. So I think it's the downside for it. But my mom was help helpless, I think, one way, but she was trying to help me definitely. And she tried to help me to get the medication. And she have to try me to, to examination and then she was really help helping me, but emotionally , like psychologically, like I really getting a lot from anyone. Like emotional support or something that.
Liz: You don't get that?
Jayson: I wasn't getting , from her. 
Liz: Yeah. 
Jayson: And I have brother he can understand it, but Yeah. But most of the time I think it's on my own , but for relatives it's different. So relatives doesn't know much about it. They're still very strange to the narcolepsy. But, oh, yes. And one of the uncle just asked me last week, I was shocked because she, he asked me that because, [00:16:00] I do sports often. And then he asked me, do you still have narcolepsy? 
Liz: No, it just disappeared. It's gone now.
Jayson: Yeah. It's just like that.
Liz: How do you deal with that lack of emotional support from your family? 
Jayson: I write diaries. I record it. I recorded at first. I tried to record my emotion. I tried to record what happened to me how do, I started to write the diaries and then, and it makes me much more better. And then there was a time after Germany, I go back to school. I wanted to get some help from therapist. In school, I can get help. And then this writing diary is the tool that he told me so he helped me all the way back. After I graduate, I spent four years, I think five years, maybe more. So this is very huge for me. Yeah. 
Liz: Wow.
Jayson: Because it was another expense for having a therapist. And it definitely has the same impact that even if I don't talk to someone, but [00:17:00] right now for me, I deal with emotionally, I just speak out and share how do I feel with my girlfriend. And she gave me a lot of support emotionally . So I think that's very important. 
Kerly: So Jason, you are a PE teacher. 
Jayson: Yes. 
Kerly: So it's nice to see that your love for sports , you turned it into a job, which is nice. So at work, did they offer you any accommodations at work, ?
Jayson: Yes. 
Jayson: So speaking of that's like, I'm a substitute teacher but in the long term the reason for it, because it's more flexible. About the time. So before that, I actually did a lot of job. I had done office job, engineering job. I feel like I got how you guys feel when you're sitting in the office all day. Like, how many times I can fall asleep the day that happens, it just feel like it feels bad. I wanted to do, what makes me feel excited? And then I need to do something that make me purposeful and something that I can [00:18:00] do even though the time is short, but I'm being very output and efficient and then I can still make money, that's most important. So I started to look for a job, and then I got a job that's close to me, like for transportation, I only took five minutes and it definitely save me like the time and I can get more sleep and I won't feel asleep while transporting. I just started to look at what I need at first.
Jayson: So I so I started to look at it, and then I find it like PE teacher, , substitute. I can tell the school how I wanted my schedule to really look like. So I only have half day and I try to manage Tuesday to Friday. From 8, to 12. 
Jayson: how would I look like at work? So I try to make it like my classes are all together because I don't have time to rest, and then I just need to go and finish it. And then, because teaching job is like being more very active.
Liz: Yeah. 
Jayson: And then I won't be able to rest. And then I [00:19:00] will have less, uh, symptoms that happened and in the afternoon I just get my lunch and then go home, and then I can get rest. There is, only one day on Tuesday that I have a full day. Then that time I will take a nap at the office , it's quite comfort because there's a chair that can lie down and then put out my feet. It was kind of good, but I tried to manage it because back then in school I don't have that luxury to be like sleeping. Now I just try to rest. When during Tuesday, I will rest at noon and then go back to class, and then I , feel my energy is back. Yes. 
Liz: And in some cultures, so like specifically in Asia, like Vietnam for example, it's quite normal to have a nap after lunch for everyone. Is that the case in Taiwan as well? 
Jayson: Yes always. Like even when you're working? Yes. I think there's a difference because Western culture, they don't have the nap culture. It definitely has a one hour window. Things were like elementary [00:20:00] school. You always had the lunch, nap time then. Back to class. So it is also in Taiwan. Yeah, you're right. 
Liz: I imagine that must be quite nice because like I have to nap at work, but I'm the only one, and it's a very weird thing to request, whereas yes, for you it's like much more within the culture already.
Jayson: I get it. Yes. It definitely felt that way. And especially when you're retired and you have to think, am I the only one taking naps and you guys don't rest? And then yeah, it has like a huge fight in, in mind. I do feel that way many times because my coworker, because they are full-time teacher and then. They have work also at noon, which is you know, , my nap time. So that's also the reason why I'm choosing it as a substitute teacher because there's less duty, but I get my job done, then it's done. Then I won't do any extra stuff for the work. And I'm not saying that I don't love my job, I do, but it's just like I wasn't be able to [00:21:00] contribute during the time.
Liz: You have to set boundaries and put your health first at the end of the day. 
Jayson: Yes. 
Kerly: And that's totally understandable because I'm a child of parent teachers, they're retired now and teachers always have to do extra and take work home and stuff like that, so I totally get that.
Jayson: Yeah. 
Kerly: Yeah. 
Liz: Do you work know about your narcolepsy then? 
Jayson: School, no, but coworker, yes. So the school doesn't know, but I do tell my coworker when we're in the same office, I told them. And the interesting part is that, like we in Taiwan, we have military service at the age of 18. So I got diagnose with narcolepsy. So this is one of the reason why I don't need to serve in the military. And most of the people that the topic that brings me to speak about it is from the military service so people just ask me, oh, do you do the service, military service?
Jayson: I say, oh, , no I didn't. [00:22:00] I said, why then I don't have to do it because I have narcolepsy..
Liz: That's quite a nice way to bring it up. 'cause it's quite natural.
Jayson: Yeah. 
Kerly: Were you sad that you didn't get to do the military service, or you didn't mind?
Jayson: No, I don't mind at all. 
Liz: how do you balance work, social life and your narcolepsy at the moment? 
Jayson: I put my health at first and then I try to manage the work that I can do, like what's my responsible, how much I can do. That's why I choose the substitute teacher. And then, I know people have, financial stress. And then I'm, luckily I don't have a lot of financial stress right now, so I can choose what I do and then but I still trying to be more independent, so I still need to like, develop my career a little bit more. That's the thing that working, I'm working on. And because of that I had several job, like I teach in school, I coach in running club and then I try to also be the fitness teacher. But yes, it has . It takes me a lot of time. And then also [00:23:00] stress too. And then socialize wise, most of the people I the people I'm close with. People they know that have like symptoms, so I wouldn't feel uncomfortable when I'm staying with them and they will know what my needs. And then definitely I'm not making a lot of new friends, like being very socialized, but the people around me, they, like, doing sports the people I met along the way doing sports that that's how I get to know them and that's how I socialize with them. And I think a lot of social life has been also in work, like while in running club.
Liz: And so has it impacted your friendships in any way, whether that's in a positive way with your close friends or in a negative way with not socializing with kind of a bigger group? 
Jayson: It definitely true. So when big group people have to do things together or something like that. It takes more time. [00:24:00] So I definitely has a lot of huge impact on that when I have narcolepsy. Because I have to use the time that I'm awake very manageable. I need to spend it like 
Kerly: carefully. 
Jayson: Yeah. Like 
Liz: very specific with how you use it fixed.
Jayson: Yeah. So I won't be doing nothing at the end of the day. So , it definitely impact me a lot, so , I avoid the big group or avoiding the night events. But it's, it, at first I think it's kind of hard, but in the end of day I think it's good because that's why I need it.
Jayson: Also what it leads to a regular a more healthy lifestyle for me. 
Kerly: Jason, you are plant-based.
Jayson: What does that mean? 
Kerly: You have a plant-based diet?
Jayson: Yes,
Kerly: Was that a decision, anything to do with the narcolepsy or you've always been plant-based? Or have you found that it has helped in any way? 
Jayson: So I started to eat plant-based when I was four or five years ago. [00:25:00] I started to do it because I try to test how does it feel like. And I think it definitely helped me more on being manage what I'm eating, like what I'm eating in my body. So how does it feel in my body? Am I being feeling great. It definitely had a huge help me understand more about the, what food nutrition can affect me. And, but I didn't do it for narcolepsy, but after I become plant-based I started to have my own diet. Like I don't eat breakfast before work because I feel I'll be sleeping and then and having the symptom during the work. And I also try to avoid breakfast so I can be focused. I'm awake. I will have less symptom, in work. Yes. Also like getting more vegetables that I think I think one of those big thing I learned is like the car cards, that has huge effect on me. That I can feel the tiredness when I'm eating a lot of [00:26:00] carbs. Yeah. That it, it does help me to understand that a lot, but I wasn't do it for at first, but that's the thing that I learned along the way. 
Liz: Nice. So that helps you to kind of manage your symptoms a bit more, or you are more aware of how it impacts your body?
Jayson: Yes. So I can choose more carefully, like I'm what I'm choosing to eat. 
Liz: Yeah. 
Kerly: Yeah. That's good. 
Liz: On, Friday I had to go to a friend's registry office wedding, and it was right at the time that I would usually nap. So I just had a really light breakfast of literally a banana and a coffee, and I didn't nap the whole day. But I know that's not a good strategy because I should eat three meals a day and I usually do, or if not more. But it was strange, literally like not needing to nap the whole day because I guess not eating it meant that I didn't have that like slump afterwards, but a bad strategy, I'm not recommending that it was just an emergency situation.
Jayson: Yeah. , Of course like if I can do it, I'm definitely gonna do it. But like during the [00:27:00] day, during the break, I'll eat some nuts. Like I won't be empty stomach. 
Liz: Yeah. 
Jayson: Because yeah, I still need the energy though.
Liz: Yeah, definitely. It's like trying to find the food that fills you up but doesn't make you crash. 
Jayson: Definitely. 
Liz: And what's the healthcare system like in Taiwan? Have you managed to access medications easily or is there any difficulties in that area? 
Jayson: So, yes fortunately Taiwan's Healthcare is pretty well-rounded. Like we have very good healthcare systems system, so I know the medication can be very expensive. I was also curious about like you guys and, what does it look like in your country? So I'll ask later, but in Taiwan it's very well rounded. So the health insurance can cover, most of the medication fees and, I have to pay much more, less for every treatment that I have. So like once in a month I get medication refill, and then once a year I need to do the examination again, because that's very [00:28:00] tricky. But that's also funny because Narcolepsy never go away, but they just want to try to make sure you have this,
Kerly: wow. So they retest you every year? 
Jayson: Every year I have to be like without medication for a week 
Kerly: in order to do the tests. Yeah. Because your system needs to be clear. Yeah. Wow. That's very interesting.
Liz: My gosh. 
Jayson: Yeah. But I think in the bright side that I was very fortunate and grateful to have the healthcare that we have in Taiwan. 
Liz: Yeah. There's always pros and cons in whatever country you're in. It's never perfect, but it sounds like it's working. 
Jayson: Yes. What does it look like in your guys' country? 
Liz: So we have the NHS, which means that it's mostly free healthcare for everyone. So me and Kerly, we live in a similar area, so , we have the same healthcare provider. And we just, yeah, we get free medication. Most people with narcolepsy get free medication. Yeah. 
Jayson: That's, yeah. Oh, nice. That's very really, do you know about the, like the other country? 
Liz: Yeah. I think in America, some of the people we've spoken to, it really [00:29:00] varies on where they live. You can pay for private healthcare insurance so that you pay monthly for that, and then the insurance company covers the cost of the medication, but they still have to pay a little bit. I think that's mostly how it works in America. It really varies. Yeah. I also, oh, sorry, go on. 
Jayson: Yeah, it was kind of like that, but it was like everyone can get it. Taiwan, so it's like a health insurance and we pay monthly for a small amount of money. And then I we get the medication, we can get the medication, we can go to the doctor and then, but most of the fees, like the medication fees that they have, the insurance will cover. Yeah, 
Liz: that's great. 
Liz: I wanted to ask you as well about kind of fitness and exercise, because obviously you do a lot of it and you're a PE teacher. Do you find that helps your narcolepsy symptoms? 
Jayson: Yes. Yes. I think the exercise help me to be, to sleep better at night. So if there's one day that I don't do exercise sports, I will, during the night, I'll wake up many [00:30:00] times and then I feel. Not rested when I wake up, but when I'm a little bit more tired and I exercise, I do some cardio, jog, running, swimming, like at night, I can feel much more better during the sleep. Like the quality of sleeping was much more better. So that's also one of the reason that I stick to it because it has huge difference. Yeah.
Kerly: I want to get to the point where like in, in my early twenties, I used to go gym a lot.
Kerly: And now I'm just so tired I don't have energy to do this anymore. Yeah. But I want to get, I want to get back to that and have those benefits that Jason's talking about. 
Liz: I've really got into home workouts because after work I don't have the energy to go to the gym. So I just do like even a 15 minute workout.
Liz: I'm trying to do that like several times a week and it definitely makes me feel better. . Like lifts my mood 'cause I find winter a bit depressing. So it gives me a bit of a endorphins buzz makes my brain happy. 
Jayson: Definitely. , Yeah, I think for [00:31:00] me like especially doing sports alone, sometimes you'll be unmotivated a lot, but yeah. Most of the time I do it alone because of the schedule. But sometimes I just go to like a public place or go to gym and then go to swimming pool and it doesn't take much more a lot of time for me. So I'm pretty lucky, like where I live, I can be very convenient on going the place that I want to do exercise.
Liz: Yeah, that's good. It's nice that it's close by. 
Liz: So one of the questions I usually ask at the end of the podcast is the red button question. If you could press a red button and completely get rid of narcolepsy and cataplexy and never have experienced it, would you press it? And why?
Jayson: If I had a red button, would I press it? Is that question? Okay? 
Kerly: Yeah.
Jayson: Yes, definitely. Because wow, this is hard. I want to take it back, but , I think yes, but a little bit more. No, awake. I think what narcolepsy had taught me a lot for [00:32:00] like, and that's, I think also important as a human to have. 
Kerly: Mm-hmm. 
Jayson: Like to, to able to have this kind of like being. Managing time and being, doing things that, and saying no to the stuff that you don't like and prioritize your health more. That is definitely something that long, I learned a long way, but also for, yes, if I don't have this thesis, I don't have to worry. A lot of stuff like doesn't happen, exists. And then I would definitely press it, so I don't, yeah. I know it's hard. Do I have to choose it like this or no?
Liz: If you have to choose. 
Jayson: Oh my gosh, I think, yes. Yeah. For my instinct, yeah. I would just say it right away. Yeah. So I'll press it. How about you guys? 
Kerly: I said no when I did mine. Yeah. I think it all depends on the day you ask, like, if you had a very bad day, you might say yes, but like you, learned so many things from having this that I wouldn't have learned before, and I think it's making me a better person and a better human being. Exactly. Yeah. 
Liz: We would just be [00:33:00] too perfect if we didn't have narcolepsy. Right. So God had to give us something. 
Kerly: We'll be ruling the world. 
Jayson: Yeah, true. That's true. But 
Kerly: I think cataplexy more than anything is the button that I would want to press
Jayson: cataplexy. 
Kerly: Yeah. 
Jayson: True. Wow. That's something that we're thinking from.
Kerly: Yeah. 
Jayson: Thanks for asking though. 
Kerly: You're welcome. 
Kerly: Thanks for coming on to narcolepsy navigators and sharing your story. Jason, it's really nice to hear. 
Liz: Can I just say, I'm so impressed that you've done the whole interview at quite late on a Sunday for you. Mm. In the language that isn't your first language, and it sounds like you have about four other languages as well, so you've done very well.
Jayson: Yeah. Oh, 
Jayson: thank you.
Jayson: Yeah. I took a lot of a long nap in the afternoon, so yeah, that's what I'm about. Yeah, it was quite exciting to share my story with you guys. I've been wanting to do this for a long time, and you guys asked, found me, and then yeah, I said, why not? Let's do it. And then. Yeah. I just love to share with this and meeting people like you guys, so [00:34:00] definitely a great experience for me. 
Liz: Wow. Yeah. Thank you for coming on. 
Kerly: So , we like to end by saying, happy, napping everyone.
Liz: After 3, 1, 2, 3. Happy, happy, happy, 
Jayson: napping. 
Liz: Everyone. 
Jayson: Everyone.
Kerly: Narcolepsy Navigators is produced by a team of volunteers working for the Naps for Life, CIC, which is a nonprofit group dedicated to improving the lives of people with sleep disorders through community action. You can help grow our podcast and join our sleep disorder support group by visiting the website www.napsforlife.com.
Kerly: If you or someone you know. Has a sleep disorder and would like to share your story on narcolepsy navigators. Please email us at narcolepsy navigators@gmail.com. You can also support us by donating at the websites. Happy napping everyone.