Narcolepsy + Relationships - Narcolepsy Nerd Alert Ep. 20

In this Narcolepsy Nerd Alert we discuss everything from dating and early stages to long-term partnerships and marriage, with people living with narcolepsy and a supporter. About our Guests:

Taylor Dillon is a Filipina-American NERD who loves hiking and dancing in Los Angeles. She was diagnosed with narcolepsy at age 18, and now creates educational resources, the Narcolepsy Nerd Alert toolkits with Project Sleep. As a speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program, Taylor shares her story to increase public understanding of narcolepsy and decrease stigma around sleep disorders.

Lindsay Scola is an entertainment impact strategist and outdoor enthusiast living in Los Angeles. She was diagnosed with narcolepsy at 35 and is now a speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program. Lindsay shares her story of experiencing mysterious symptoms and advocating for her diagnosis to help others with sleep related issues get answers and seek the treatment they need.

Bob Cloud is a retired lawyer living in Northern Vermont. He grew up in Ohio and married an Indiana girl, Margaret, with whom he has two children. His excessive sleepiness, cataplexy, and related symptoms appeared at age 33, during his first year of night law school. Bob practiced family, criminal, and general law for 30 years, during which time he learned to live with narcolepsy. As a Rising Voices speaker, Bob shares how supportive family, creative doctors and pharmaceutical providers, and understanding friends stood by him as a husband, father, lawyer, patient, and occasional fisherman with narcolepsy.

Margaret Cloud has been married to Bob for 52 years. Following a career of 30 years in clinical laboratory leadership for major medical centers and national labs, she moved with Bob to northern Vermont. Margaret’s insights into supporting a spouse with narcolepsy raise issues not often discussed by individuals, families, and professionals.

Jeff Discount is a father of three who enjoys a career as a sales engineer and business development consultant, and has a passion for building both his physique and meaningful relationships. He was diagnosed with narcolepsy at age 40, which provided considerable challenges in maintaining high levels of fitness and balancing important facets of his life. Jeff encourages other people with narcolepsy to connect and learn from each other, and is thrilled to share some of the ways he has overcome his own challenges with this neurological condition.

Narcolepsy + Relationships Toolkit Coming Soon!

Project Sleep's Sleep Helpline: https://project-sleep.com/helpline/

The Narcolepsy Nerd Alert series invites listeners to dive deeper into specific topics relevant to living with narcolepsy. project-sleep.com/narcolepsy-nerd-alert/

Download podacst transcription here.