Image: HTML’s Magic

Nope, not pregnant.  Had you thinking there for a minute though, right?

I couldn’t help but sing the 1982′s The Gap Band song ”You Dropped A Bomb On Me” in my head after hearing the devastating news from my orthopedist that I will not be running the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon on June 2nd. Read more

I have a new inspiration, Julie Flygare.  She is the author of the book, “Wide Awake And Dreaming: A Memoir of Narcolepsy”.  I never thought that a book that I downloaded to keep me occupied on a train ride would rouse me with the story of a smart, strong female runner, blogger and yogi.

I’ve always liked books about people who find their way in the face of an obstacle of some sort – addiction, poor parent guidance, financial struggles, injuries, disabilities or in the case of Julie Flygare, the neurological disease narcolepsy, which she was diagnosed with in her twenties while in law school.

I have my own sleep issues (I’m an insomniac) but I knew very little about narcolepsy and nothing about cataplexy – the sudden loss of muscle tone often brought on by strong emotions.  

By reading Julie’s book, I learned more about the neurological autoimmune sleep disorder that affects 1 in 2,000 Americans (including talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel ).  The disorder is caused by the brain’s inability to maintain normal sleep and wake cycles.  See here for more Narcolepsy Quick Facts from Julie’s blog. Read more