Ro Cambridge

My particular zoonosis manifested itself with a tiny tickle in the back of my throat. Within a day or two, the tickle became more pronounced. Then my throat became very sore and I developed an irritating cough.

Nothing very remarkable so far. I thought I must be developing a cold. No point going to a doctor about a cold, I thought, so I went about my everyday life as per usual – although I refrained from coughing extravagantly in public, and kept a pack of tissues handy to dab at my increasingly wet nose.

Then I began to feel terribly lethargic. Initially, I put this torpor down to the swelteringly hot summer days we’ve been having.

The lethargy gradually turned into periods of extreme somnolence.

Because I’ve just become vegetarian, I began wondering if the lethargy was my body’s reaction to a new diet. At first, I felt rather resentful that giving up roast chicken and lamb chops was making me feel less rather than more energetic.

However, I told myself, this was probably just a phase. If I heeded my body’s increased demand for rest, I would soon be enjoying glossy hair, increased energy and a renewed bounce in my step.

So, rest I did. I took a nap whenever I felt drowsy, and stuck to eating lettuce and chickpeas.

I tried not to worry when it began to feel that I was spending more time asleep than awake. After all, I was on holiday: I was supposed to be relaxing.

I made an attempt to research narcolepsy on Google during a brief period of wakefulness, but fell asleep mid-search. Eventually, it felt as if wasn’t me taking the naps, it was the naps that were taking me.

One afternoon, I awoke to find myself sprawled in a patch of sunlight on the sitting room carpet with the dog licking me anxiously on the face. Presumably, I’d fallen asleep before I could put myself to bed.

What the heck, I thought. From now on, I’ll just sleep on the floor next to the dog.

Although this might sound like a worrying turn of events, I still didn’t consult a doctor. The almost

I managed to keep up with lifesustaining basics like grocery shopping, although I noticed that the butchery section of the supermarket became more and more alluring.