Jumping Into a New Chapter of My Journey

Hi friends! I’m so beyond excited to share that as of February 12, 2018, I made a huge career change and took on a new role as President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Project Sleep! Read the full announcement here. Wait, what’s the difference?   Some people have said they thought I was already serving in this…

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Happy Rare Disease Day 2016!

Today, February 29 is Rare Disease Day! With 350 million people around the world living with a rare disease, HUG someone with a RARE DISEASE today. For Rare Disease Day 2016, I was SO honored to contribute to two great articles for Mashable’s Social Good program. Author, Katie Dupere eloquently describes: “For those living with rare…

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WATCH NOW: MedX 2015 Ignite! Talk by Narcolepsy Advocate, Julie Flygare

I’m thrilled to share my 5-minute Ignite! Talk from Stanford Medicine X 2015. Please share with friends and family to raise narcolepsy awareness (https://youtu.be/MXTd8xd_f8s). In this video, I describe my journey with narcolepsy from people laughing in my face to living proudly and creating the NARCOLEPSY: NOT ALONE campaign. I emphasize how feeling “misunderstood and alone” with…

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YOU CAN AND YOU WILL (Marathon Part II)

As I crossed the start line of the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon, runners started passing me. I laughed when a pack of Elvis(s) passed me. Typical. “Slow and steady. No one to beat. Nothing to prove,” I told myself. My shirt was drenched with sweat within 3 miles. Soon my hands raisined and…

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NARCOLEPSY: NOT ALONE Reaches Everest Base Camp

Please welcome GRACE to the NARCOLEPSY: NOT ALONE campaign, who took this photo at the Everest Base Camp in Nepal. In her inspiring blog post, she describes her journey as a woman with narcolepsy with cataplexy to reach the Everest Base Camp: “On paper you might think that a person with a diagnosis of Narcolepsy attempting to trek to…

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Five Key Phrases for Health Advocates

Living with a chronic or invisible illness like narcolepsy can be confusing and overwhelming. Here are the key phrases that have helped me survive and thrive in critical moments when I needed to advocate for myself and my health. I suggest adding these phrases to your vocabulary asap.  #5. “Is there someone else I can speak with?”I…

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Top 13 Inspirational Quotes of 2014 – #1 No Expiration Date

“Your dream doesn’t have an expiration date.Take a deep breath and try again.”-KT Witten About a year ago, one of my best friends, Gail added this quote (IN ALL CAPS) to her email signature. I smiled cause I love inspirational quotes. But then something odd happened – over the past year, I watched Gail make…

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Top 13 Inspirational Quotes of 2014 – #2 No Hope

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” -Dale Carnegie For years, my book was a long-shot in the dark. I worked toward this goal without knowing if/when I would “succeed”. I faced skepticism and unforeseen…

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Top 13 Inspirational Quotes #3 – No Feeling is Final

“Let everything happen to you.Beauty and terror.Just keep going.No feeling is final.”-Rainer Maria Rilke  No feeling is final. Sleepiness, wakefulness, happiness, sadness. We are constantly shifting. This gives me solace to get through the hard times.  Inspirational Quote #4:    Inspirational Quote #5:   Inspirational Quote #6:    Inspirational Quote #7:    Inspirational Quote #8: …

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