Cataplexy Caught on Camera – Guest Post by Sally Abboud

Four lovely ladies walk into a photo booth, one has narcolepsy with cataplexy, her name is Sally. Something is funny and as Sally laughs, the camera perfectly captures the stages of her cataplexy attack. Sally (top-middle) describes: This was a photo booth at a friend’s wedding that takes a photo every 5 seconds. The three other ladies…

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The Doctors Show Features My Story with Narcolepsy

Tune in to the Doctors TV Show this Monday Feb. 9, I’ll be sharing my journey with narcolepsy – including sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations . See full information here. Watch TV interview online:   Crafting an honest and accurate portrayal of narcolepsy with the Doctors TV Show was a lot of fun.  I was blown away…

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5th Grader Raises Narcolepsy Awareness at School

This past year has been very tough for Daishia, age 11, who was recently diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy. In addition to narcolepsy, she is also dealing with a seizure disorder, migraines and obstructive and central sleep apnea. “I wish I could take all her pain and struggles away and make things easier for her,” describes her…

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Narcolepsy in the News: Narcolepsy Video Featured on Today Show and Inside Edition

Narcolepsy awareness is on FIRE this fall! This is thanks to the narcolepsy PSA series airing on national TV, The Daily Edition segment in Australia and Sarah Wheaton’s video of cataplexy (a symptom of narcolepsy) going viral on Reddit. As a narcolepsy spokesperson and author, it’s great to see narcolepsy gain international media attention. I hope we can continue promoting truthful…

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Guest on HuffPost Live: The Psychological Side of Illness

The psychological side of coping with narcolepsy is sometimes as challenging as the physical. I was thrilled to join HuffPost Live for an important discussion, “How To Manage The Psychological Side Of Illness” on Friday, Nov. 21, 2014. Watch below or here: Host Nancy Redd welcomed an inspiring panel of health advocates including yours truly, Juile Flygare (@REMRunner) Founder…

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Celebrating 5 Years of Narcolepsy Advocacy

This week marks five years as a narcolepsy advocate. When I published my first REM Runner blog post, I “came out” publicly after two years of hush-hush. I didn’t know where this would lead me, but every fiber in me ached to speak up and make change. Once I began,  I watched myself devote time and energy I didn’t know I had. The momentum…

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Unveiling the new NARCOLEPSY: NOT ALONE website!

I’m so excited to share Project Sleep’s new NARCOLEPSY: NOT ALONE™ campaign website at: www.narcolepsynotalone.com. When I started this campaign last year, I never imagined it would become such an empowering international movement. Now, NARCOLEPSY: NOT ALONE™ is the world’s largest social media narcolepsy awareness campaign – setting a bold new precedent that narcolepsy is not a joke, but a real disorder…

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Filming the Honda Narcolepsy PSA

Over the past few months, I’ve worked with Honda and a Honda agency, RPA, to create a narcolepsy public service announcement (PSA). I’m so proud and honored to have served as a real face and voice of narcolepsy for this project. In preparation, I shared my memoir, fact sheets, patient experience and key awareness points. It…

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Viral Narcolepsy with Cataplexy Video

A video of a young woman with narcolepsy and cataplexy has gone viral. Watch below or on YouTube. This is a powerful video and I am grateful to Sarah Elizabeth for bravely sharing her experience! Sarah Elizabeth is primarily experiencing a narcolepsy symptom called cataplexy here. Cataplexy is a sudden loss of muscle tone, resulting in…

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What does NARCOLEPSY: NOT ALONE mean to you?

What resonates with you? I created this word-collage using popular words from NARCOLEPSY: NOT ALONE campaign blog posts. For me, the words “connect”, “badass” and “tears” stand out. I love that positive and negative experiences are captured here. No matter where you are on your journey, your feelings are valid and normal, its all part of  the narcolepsy roller-coaster.…

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