Narcolepsy 360: Ginna Freehling

Ginna Freehling is a neuroscience graduate and works in cancer clinical research at a biotech company. She is also a PWN.

In this episode, Ginna shares how at the age of twenty she started experiencing symptoms of narcolepsy. In the process of trying to figure out what was going on, she was discouraged by her sleep specialist to not seek a formal diagnosis. For the next few years, she managed her symptoms on her own. Finally, as symptoms worsen she was able to get a sleep test at Stanford and was diagnosed with Type 1 narcolepsy.

Ginna offers insight on medication titration, her experience with disclosing her diagnosis with work, navigating friendship, and her passion for sleep education. She says, “As a society, we don’t put enough emphasis on the value of sleep.”

You can follow on Instagram @Ginna24. She says, “The XYREM/XYWAV Facebook group has been helpful to learn about others' experiences in switching to XYWAV from XYREM.”

Ginna also offers, “In general I would say exercise and a diet low in simple carbohydrates can help with EDS. I follow a gluten-free diet due to a wheat allergy and IBS but have subsequently found that it helps my daytime wakefulness as well. Individuals with resources surrounding this include Belle Hutt @bellehutt on Instagram and Gina Dennis' page madcapnarcolepsy.com.”

You can follow Wake Up Narcolepsy at @narcolepsy_360 on Instagram, @wakeupnarcolepsy on Instagram and Facebook and @wakenarcolepsy on Twitter. Let us know your thoughts about this episode by using the hashtag #narcolepsy360 and please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.