Wide Awake and Dreaming: A Memoir of Narcolepsy Paperback – December 13, 2012

Julie Flygare has written the definitive narcolepsy memoir. Not only does her book educate the reader about narcolepsy -- a condition still too little understood, especially considering how many millions of lives it affects -- but it is an entertaining and captivating story. that pulls the reader in and doesn't let go until they have turned that final page, enchanted, enriched, and yearning for more.Ms. Flygare writes about her struggles and victories with both honesty and grit. She does not coat her achievements with "you can do it, too" platitudes; it's clear that she is an incredibly determined woman who worked hard and pushed through a great deal of pain and despair to attain the accomplishments detailed in her book. She never gloats about her determination or achievements, but a perceptive reader can tell that she has travelled a path not everyone -- with or without narcolepsy -- could find their way along. Julie Flygare is a force to be reckoned with!Her story is inspirational, but it is not candy-coated. The reader comes away with a clear feeling of a life thrown askew and a woman fighting back against her fate with a spine of steel and the love of many supportive friends and family. Flygare wrested her life back from narcolepsy, and the final pages of the book were so stirring I read them with choked throat and tears in my eyes. While Ms. Flygare did, indeed, overcome narcolepsy she also will be living with it and fighting with it for the rest of her life. With narcolepsy, "overcoming" is a daily process that is never finished. But the way she shoulders that burden and the power her challenges have given her to reach out to others and help more people than she will ever have the chance to meet are what make her story so worth reading.This is not merely a memoir of narcolepsy, as the subtitle suggests. This is a memoir of power, persistence, and one woman who is changing the world forever for people living with narcolepsy and those who love them.

As a woman with narcolepsy myself in my mid 20s, I felt this book with so much empathy, and feel Julie captured pieces of many people’ lived experience with narcolepsy symptoms. I have much more subtle cataplexy than described in this book but I am grateful to the writer for helping me realize how even thoughts can trigger minor cataplexy, and at times some emotions we may not even recognize with all the different ones we experience throughout the day.It took 10+ years from my symptom onset to official diagnosis (I was diagnosed only last year). I knew something was wrong with my sleep and it only worsened around my early 20s, especially through college and graduate school. Now at 26 being on medication gives a new quality of life — if you think something is wrong, don’t give up on yourself because with this disorder you need to be your own advocate. Many doctors truly do not recognize the symptoms of this disorder and will brush them off, and it is also difficult (in my experience) to articulate many of the symptoms of narcolepsy. Yet Julie captures all of this in sharing her story with such realness. For the first time in years I read a book from start to end within a day and felt a lot of emotions being able to relate to the writer, and still having not personally met another (diagnosed) person with narcolepsy, this book helps me feel recognized as having similar real experiences.I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand what it can be like to live with narcolepsy, anyone who has the disorder or suspects they may themselves. Its a powerful read, even for those who have never heard of narcolepsy or not know much about it. Grateful to have come across this read, now in my favorites.

What an interesting book. I always marvel at how people who suffer something awful can take their experience, and in the hands of a skilled writer, put forth a gripping story of the human spirit--even of victory.Julie Flygare starts out her first year of law school accompanied by strange, disconcerting physical symptoms that worsen over time. Eventually she is diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy, life-altering conditions that rob her of her strength, focus, confidence, social life, boyfriend, bodily control, career (though she establishes a new one), and, almost, her hope.Ms. Flygare does some things very well. 1) She explains what narcolepsy is (invasive neurological disorder), and is not (funny sleeping condition, the stuff of jokes). 2) She gives a detailed account of a day in the life of a person with narcolepsy, horrific details that, if they don't evoke an empathetic reaction in the reader, then really, there's something wrong with you. 3) She does a heck of a job, just by writing this informative book, of educating the reader about the nature of the condition and its aftermath. All by itself that is her great gift to the world. I, for one, am grateful for the knowledge I gleaned from her book. It was all new to me, and it feels good to be no longer ignorant. I will never think of narcolepsy as a "funny" condition again.Her writing is straightforward, easy to follow most of the time, and does its work as a memoir: beginning, middle, and end. I liked that. If you're going to learn about a dreaded physical condition, the most palatable way is in the form of a memoir that reads like a novel. However, she would have benefited by having her book read by a competent editor. There is language in the book about an editor, but at first glance it sounds like the editors were her friends. I am unclear about this. I do know that the book contains a number of spelling errors, typos, and multiple fuzzy sentences. I had to read them several times to catch their meanings. She is vague about some things that beg for explanation--things that a sharp editor would have caught. I would unhesitatingly give this book five stars had it been properly edited.Nevertheless, this was an engaging, informative, touching read. I recommend it.

As a mom with a child recently diagnosed with Narcolepsy this has been an amazing read to help with understanding the person with the illness

The book was the first I ever read about narcolepsy and helped me understand what it’s implications

informative and honesty

Julie is an inspiration! She has given me hope that my daughter will someday manage this horrible brain disorder and succeed as Julie has. This book is honest and informative. Julie describes the symptoms, the process of being diagnosed, the trial and error of medications and their side effects and the challenges of living and thriving with narcolepsy clearly and concisely. I understand my child better than I ever did before reading this book. It was a truly educational experience for me, a gift. If you have a family member or friend with narcolepsy, buy this amazing book. And, follow @remrunner on instagram ~ she is doing amazing things to educate and inform others about narcolepsy.

This is a remarkable book and required reading for anyone with narcolepsy or anyone who knows someone with narcolepsy. Julie writes with honesty and grace so it is a pleasure to read. She demonstrates great sensitivity and transparency when dealing with difficult subjects. I am only sorry I didn't read this a long time ago. I hope there might be a second volume dealing with what happened next for Julie, as there are some aspects raised which are left unresolved - principally her future career. Overall, I would strongly recommend this for anyone interested in narcolepsy or coming to grips with it