Final up to date on April 2, 2023.

It’s been awhile, and although I do share tidbits extra ceaselessly on social media and through my e-newsletter, I wished to do a full write up of what has been happening. I haven’t revealed a weblog put up since April, so this can be a lengthy overdue replace. It shares some thrilling skilled information, but in addition the non-public because it pertains to my well being.

This neighborhood has been an enormous a part of what has stored me afloat throughout the previous few, troublesome years. With my restricted bandwidth because of the ongoing spinal cerebrospinal (CSF) leak, I’ve needed to lower out among the work I wish to do. The weblog was placed on hiatus first, as a result of updating on social media (primarily Instagram) is faster and fewer labour intensive.

However whereas I’ve not been placing out new posts right here, I’ve spent many hours updating the backend of the web site, and dealing on quite a few different issues that I wished to share. I’ve additionally seen specialists and realized extra about my physique, sufficient that that data sheds a really completely different mild on the a few years of power ache I endured previous to my CSF leak.

It has taken time to course of the thread that now connects dots I by no means thought to attach, and I wished to maintain my neighborhood up to date.

Private Updates

A couple of updates about how I’m feeling, these related dots, and the place I’m residing.

Shifting to Gatineau, Quebec and Dwelling Semi-Independently

Since Could, I’ve been residing in Gatineau, throughout the river from Ottawa. My brother lives in Ottawa, and my plan is to ultimately transfer there as nicely. For now, although, Gatineau has been a beautiful center floor. I acquired to spend a summer time wandering all the way down to the water, seeing my household, and studying reside largely alone, with a leak.

My brother and his accomplice come over as soon as per week to assist with issues I can’t do, like getting groceries for me, and doing my laundry and my vacuuming. I’m fortunate that I’ve them to choose up the slack that my leak steals away, and I’ll by no means complain about getting extra time with individuals I really like a lot.

At first, adjusting to the house felt actually deflating. There have been many issues that I couldn’t attain, or use. The mattress was too low and really painful to get out and in of. The freezer was a drawer beneath the fridge, so I couldn’t open it with out making my CSF leak worse. The dishes and pots have been too heavy for me to clean myself, or use comfortably. The record went on.

These are fixable issues, in fact. I acquired a mattress pad, a tiny freezer, and new light-weight dishes and a small pot to make use of, thanks in no small half to the Amazon reward playing cards you bought me for my birthday.

However the preliminary weeks right here felt actually deflating. As people we’re so good at adjusting. Generally too good, and we neglect the place we actually are. The angle I misplaced was that I’m truly extra disabled than I remembered, one thing that hit me laborious once I moved into this house.

Like the rest, adjusting to this new life has its ups and downs, and ultimately I acquired previous the frustration and began strategizing methods to repair the issues I used to be going through. I additionally acquired a kitchen rolling cart, a number of canvas storage bins since every thing has to take a seat on counters to be reachable for me, and some different issues that make the place extra comfy.

I used to be by no means positive if I’d even have the ability to reside independently once more. So whereas there’s a lot I want I might do, I’m very grateful that I’m able to have extra autonomy after years of being so depending on others for each little factor.

Connecting the dots

As I discussed, my spinal CSF leak continues to be energetic. However my physique both appears to have produced extra CSF, giving me some extra “uptime”, or it has gotten barely higher. Since my leak, I’ve had immune and different points which have cropped up or worsened. I used to be in a position, with the assistance of labs and specialists, to lastly join the dots. You’ll be able to learn extra about that course of on my private web site as follows:

Mast cells are “sentinels” of the immune system, a kind of white blood cell that helps management the immune processes within the physique. They’re referred to as resident immune cells as a result of they reside in tissues and never in our bloodstream. And so they reside in tissues all around the physique, from the connective tissue, to the endothelial cells, to the epithelial cells, and even within the mind.

Enterprise Updates

A number of the initiatives I’ve been engaged on within the months since I final revealed.

Sharing Assets about Ache on Patreon

I created the Patreon as a option to settle for assist from this neighborhood, however it’s slowly morphing into a spot the place I additionally share sources for people who find themselves struggling for power ache, or those that know somebody who’s in ache.

The unhappy actuality is that the majority of us are in a kind of two classes.

Over time, I’ve acquired many questions on how I’ve coped with my very own ache ranges. Now, I’m getting questions on how somebody can assist an individual in ache. So the Patreon’s AMAs are a spot the place I reply these questions, and add extra sources.

The posts I’ve shared there additionally go into how I made the house I’m in accessible, and what modifications to the setup allowed me to deal with residing alone with the disabilities I now have. Most not too long ago, as generally individuals really feel dangerous about asking for assist or accepting assist, somebody requested me to speak about speak to somebody in ache to assist them get assist if they’re cussed. (I’ll be answering this within the subsequent AMA).

From suggestions to date, these have been actually helpful. I sit up for sharing extra.

Additionally, I’m now a Patreon ambassador! I acquired an electronic mail from them in the summertime, asking if I’d be excited by making use of for an ambassadorship programme they have been constructing. I’m one in all a small group of creators (out of their 200,000 customers) who have been accepted.

It’s nonetheless fairly new, and so far it’s been beautiful to fulfill some actually attention-grabbing, tremendous creative individuals. The ambassadorship is unpaid, however options workshop—I’ve attended a couple of to date—and rewarding breakout rooms with others within the programme to share methods and issues/successes. Different perks embody 1:1 product assist, social media options, enjoyable swag for my Patreon neighborhood, in addition to paid alternatives to take part in issues like product focus teams or inventive collaborations with their workforce.

I don’t know the way they discovered me, and it’s intimidating as a result of lots of the different creators have upwards of 2000 Patrons, however I’m wanting ahead to taking part! Provided that it was all of you who requested me to start out a Patreon, I’ve this neighborhood to thank!

Should you’re excited by becoming a member of the Patreon neighborhood, you are able to do so right here.

A One-Time Help Choice

Once I launched my Patreon, I acquired messages from readers who wished to contribute and/or assist me in my work through a one-time cost. I didn’t have that in place, however do now.

The Curious About All the things E-newsletter

Regardless of all this pleasure of transferring to a brand new place, I’ve managed to maintain my e-newsletter operating. I’ve been enjoying round with format (and emojis, I can’t assist myself), and primarily spotlighting a couple of necessary reads every month, together with extra enjoyable photo-essays and quirky items I discover. I generally embody private updates, however the focus of the e-newsletter is on proficient and/or necessary writing price studying.

Whereas it’s on Substack, and plenty of writers have moved to a paid e-newsletter mannequin, I don’t plan to take action. The Patreon is the first assist system for my earnings, alongside celiac playing cards and the meals maps store. The e-newsletter I plan to maintain free.

Even when this web site has been extra dormant than I would love, I really feel glad that CAE has gone out each month for the final 11 months.

You’ll be able to enroll under in case you are excited by receiving it.

A Large Piece about Psychological Mindset (Coming Quickly)

I had a put up referred to as Easy methods to Get By Horrible Instances that I had on this web site, however I’ve briefly taken it down as I deliberate to publish it individually. I’ve been engaged on this piece over the last whereas and it’s nonetheless in modifying, however I’m excited to share it on the new JE web site.

Redesign of Authorized Nomads:

You will have observed that the location is a little bit completely different!

Arthur the raven, my mascot, may be very distinguished. Ravens are such extremely curious birds, and I selected one as my web site’s throughline in an effort to spotlight that I nonetheless am too, albeit differently to earlier than.

And, a brand new slogan: interested in every thing. I’m not telling tales via meals, in order that slogan needed to go. The brand new emblem displays a divergence from my prior lifetime of journey and meals, but in addition the reality of who I all the time was: somebody who wished to be taught as a lot as potential.

I began to really feel actually dissonant once I seemed on the ‘previous’ Authorized Nomads, so this displays extra of the place I’m in life whereas nonetheless sustaining the same construction.

I’ve added well being and power ache to the principle classes on the house web page, too, since they’re now a much bigger a part of what I write about.

I had actually particular concepts of what I wished, in order with the final redesign to the location I offered the property (new logos, Arthur the Raven, and so on.) to an online developer as an alternative of hiring somebody who did branding in addition to growth. The property have been inked by my artist-in-Authorized-Nomadsness Ella F. Sanders. The redesign was achieved by an online developer who works for fellow journey blogger Mike’s net growth firm. Whereas her work was paid, he donated his personal time professional bono to assist supervise the venture.

Put up Overhauls and Web page Updates:

My morning routine is to stand up, make espresso, after which do some work on the web site till I must take a break.

This has allowed me to slowly replace pages and posts over time, and preserve Authorized Nomads extra present.

Amongst them:

• The gluten free guides are up to date for 2021. They’re right here.
• The gluten free New York Metropolis information has additionally been up to date to mirror restaurant closures and a few newcomers to the scene which are 100% gluten free.
• I added a historical past of Belize part, and a “the place is Belize positioned” part, as a result of consider it or not that’s the commonest search time period for this put up. It’s additionally acquired COVID-19 guidelines for visiting, if you happen to have been selecting to danger going now.
• I up to date the Vietnamese Egg Espresso Recipe with locations to get it in North America, and new items and movies concerning the candy deal with.
• I up to date my piece on sleep points and jet lag with details about sleep higher, and new research about chronomedicine and Covid-19.
• I up to date my Vipassana Meditation retreat expertise with some new knowledge concerning the risks of these sorts of retreats, and the way in some instances they will result in a psychological break.
• The Different Careers for Legal professionals web page has been up to date to incorporate pandemic data, the rise of consultants within the authorized subject, and a extra clear breakdown of go about shifting careers once you really feel overwhelmed occupied with how to take action.
• In November 2021, I up to date my historical past of chili peppers put up to incorporate the 2021 Nobel Prize profitable analysis on capsaicin, somatosensory receptors, and ache.

RSS-to-E mail Modifications: Feedburner is not any extra. RIP Feedburner.

Google has been threatening to chop RSS-to-email choices for Feedburner for a few years. The service was deprecated years in the past, and this July they lastly stated that they have been achieved supporting that choice. So I had to determine what service to make use of in an effort to get these individuals their emails. (Since I barely write right here, I had a number of time to do that!)

For these of you who opted to obtain Authorized Nomads updates through electronic mail, new posts will likely be despatched by an organization referred to as ConvertKit. I used to be planning on switching to them proper earlier than my CSF leak occurred, so it solely took me an additional few years. My good friend Nathan began the corporate and is a very beautiful human being; I’d a lot slightly give my cash to proficient associates than strangers!

Should you’re not getting Authorized Nomads through electronic mail, you possibly can enroll through the shape under. That is only for LN posts (about each six months, by way of publishing schedule as of late!). My month-to-month e-newsletter above is separate.

Should you have been already subscribed to get Authorized Nomads posts by electronic mail, you do not want to do something. I wished to clarify why the emails look completely different, and let everybody know they will additionally enroll that means if they like.

That’s it for now!

Whereas the ache I’m in by no means goes away, these initiatives and my newfound autonomy have helped make these previous couple of months among the finest in years. I is probably not cellular or touring the world anymore, however I consider that I’m capable of assist extra individuals than ever earlier than.

Whether or not it’s serving to navigate robust instances, understanding ache and loss, or simply giving extra context to the sicknesses of family members, this work feels helpful.

And feeling helpful goes a great distance towards life satisfaction for me.

Thanks for permitting me to share this journey with you.

Till subsequent time,
Jodi