It’s my birthday and I’ll give away FREE E-BOOKS if I want to…

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Six years ago today, I celebrated my 24th birthday on a boat cruise with amazing friends and an over-sized sparkly feathered tiara. We drank, sang, and danced the night away.

The next day, I couldn’t walk. I spent the day on the couch, sleeping on and off with spasms of muscle tone – terrified by my worsening condition.

Three days later, I was diagnosed with “narcolepsy with cataplexy”. Since then, I graduated from law school, ran a marathon and wrote a memoir. I’ve also faced challenges and heartbreak. 

Lessons learned in my twenties:

  • Reject rejection. If someone tell you that you can’t do something, you are talking to the wrong person. Hold your head high and pursue your dreams elsewhere. Keep going forward. Ever onward.  
  • Accept love from unexpected sources. In the months before my father passed away, I received an unusually large number of messages from blog readers around the world telling me how much my efforts meant to them. The international narcolepsy community carried me as I was losing my pillar of support, helping me through my darkest hour. I beleive that love is an energy, flowing from different sources – always there, if we are willing to accept it from unexpected sources.

Turning 30 is a bit scary, but I am so excited for the adventures ahead. My passion is strong and my vision for the future clearer than ever. Thank you for supporting me through it all! 

Please share my e-book with your friends and family this weekend (9/14/13 – 9/15/13) – FREE FOR ALL. Download here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AOBIPFC/

7 Comments

  1. Carrie-Ann Burns on September 16, 2013 at 1:32 pm

    Honestly Julie, you are WAY too kind, thank you for all of this on the behalf of all us PWN’s!

    • julie on September 16, 2013 at 6:46 pm

      Thank you, Carrie-Ann! I love our community and would do anything to further our mission! <3

  2. The Dreamer on September 16, 2013 at 6:21 pm

    I vaguely remember turning 30….everything seemed to go downhill from there…going faster and faster until I overshot 42 (where I had hoped to finally get answers to what’s wrong with me…)

    Finally the later part of 43….I got my Narcolepsy diagnosis. Still don’t have all the answers…..still hoping I’ll find some more before my next birthday….

    Wonder what I should do when I turn 45 next month?

    • julie on September 16, 2013 at 6:47 pm

      Happy birthday (a little early)!! You’ve overcome a lot of adversity and I’m very proud to call you a friend and co-advocate. 🙂

  3. Julie on September 16, 2013 at 9:40 pm

    Happy Birthday Julie, and may you have 90 more.

    Sending all good things going your way and may happiness be with you. You are doing a great job and so proud of you.

    Aunt Julie

  4. Kate Davies on September 21, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    Belated Happy Birthday Wishes to you Julie, I hope you have been spoilt! You deserve much happiness!

    Many many thanks for all you continue to do for the Narcoleptics of this world, I am so glad I have ‘met’ you! You have been a source of both much help to me and an inspiration to us All! I personally cannot thank you enough.

    May you make many happy memories in you thirties! xxx

  5. Rosie dawn Williams on September 30, 2013 at 5:58 pm

    Happy birthday I really hope that you had a lot of fun and I need some advice on how to control my narcolepsy and cataplexy because I get really horrible and nasty things to my mom and get angry and I have only just gone up to the high school and I have already missed one day and I can’t risk this like in my primary school because I was not there all the time and can’t control it so can you help me send me a friend request to me on Facebook I am 10 years old !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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