akatora

I don't have a question, but I've been wanting to tell you guys this for years. I've been looking forward to this AMA since it was announced, so I've had this typed out in advance... please ignore the sappiness :D

I can't even begin to describe the impact you've had on my life. I have all your CDs, all the b-sides and acoustics and everything. You are - hands down, without a shout of a doubt - my favorite band, but you're more than just that. You're my inspiration, you help me up when I'm down, your music gives me chills all over, and singing along to your songs gives me this indescribably uplifting feeling that calms me in a way that nothing else can.

I have some crippling health problems, my family isn't too close, school is tough, and life in general can be very difficult sometimes. I discovered you guys in a particularly dark time in my life (Godspeed was my first song <3), when all of this was coming to a peak. I only have two friends that will talk to me right now, but I consider you guys to be my friends, too. Your music... the otherworldly lyrics and the chilling vocals and the thudding drum beats and the lively guitar and the booming bass and just everything. All of it. You guys are like no other band. There's no competition. You've developed such a unique sound that stands out from everyone else. You're all so special to me, you've saved me and found a way to alleviate whatever pain I'm feeling. Your music gives me something to relate to and it makes me feel better about myself.

Never stop doing what you're doing: making music from the heart. You're all so, so talented and your songs just click with me. The effect you've had on me as a person is beyond words. Thank you so much. That's all I can say. Thank you. Thank you.

(PS - Devotion is amazing. My jaw literally dropped and tears formed in my eyes during several of the live tracks. I wish I could've been there. Incredible job.)

[edit] Wow... thanks everyone for the kind words and replies. I'm touched. For those who were concerned because I didn't get a reply, Stephen answered me not too long ago and said he had missed it, which I assumed was the case because a few of the comments at the top of the "best" section did go unanswered, not just mine.

Also, no idea how I forgot to mention this before, but I'm planning on getting a tattoo of some lyrics from Paperthin Hymn next year... "Laugh, love, live free, and sing." My favorite quote of anything ever. :)

No question is a dumb question!

I guess the first thing to understand is that Hollywood totally has it wrong. Any movie or TV show that portrays narcolepsy as simply falling asleep at random times for about five minutes and then popping back up totally fine? Nope. I only wish it was that easy. The main symptom is pure exhaustion (called EDS, which means excessive daytime sleepiness). I've read somewhere that what a narcoleptic feels every day is the equivalent of a normal person staying awake for 48 straight hours, and then staying at that level of exhaustion forever. EDS is the only symptom that every narcoleptic has in common. If you don't have EDS, you don't have narcolepsy; however, it is also possible to have other symptoms on top of EDS. Cataplexy is a big one, which about 70% of narcoleptics have. Cataplexy is more or less caused by an emotional trigger. A lot of the time, it's laughter. This trigger can make your brain attempt to force you into REM sleep. During REM sleep, your body paralyzes itself to keep you from acting out your dreams and potentially hurting yourself. So in cataplexy, while you stay awake, you're temporarily unable to move. It can be as mild as your facial muscles slackening a bit, to having your knees give out, to collapsing and being completely unable to move. [edit: cataplexy is, to my knowledge, nonexistent outside of narcolepsy.]

The other symptoms are automatic behavior (falling asleep but continuing to do what you were just doing), hypnagogic hallucinations (visual or auditory hallucinations upon falling asleep or waking up), sleep paralysis (your brain wakes up from sleep, but your body doesn't; you're mentally awake, but physically you can't move or so much as even open your eyes), and fragmented sleep (waking up several times in the night, for me it averaged around 15 times). I've experienced each one of these symptoms.

Virgin loser checking in :D

I always feel refreshed, even if it's just a 10 minute nap. After 2 or 3 hours though, I'll feel exhausted again like always.

I've heard Paperthin Hymn and Little Tyrants both played for commercial bumpers after Steelers touchdowns. I fangirled, obviously.