It’s been awhile, and although I do share tidbits extra often on social media and by way of my publication, 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 additionally the non-public because it pertains to my well being.

This group has been an enormous a part of what has saved me afloat throughout the previous few, troublesome years. With my restricted bandwidth as a result of ongoing spinal cerebrospinal (CSF) leak, I’ve needed to reduce out a few of the work I need 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 a lot of different issues that I wished to share. I’ve additionally seen specialists and discovered extra about my physique, sufficient that that data sheds a really completely different gentle on the a few years of persistent 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 group up to date.

Private Updates

A number 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 properly. For now, although, Gatineau has been a beautiful center floor. I obtained to spend a summer time wandering all the way down to the water, seeing my household, and studying learn how to stay principally alone, with a leak.

My brother and his associate 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 select up the slack that my leak steals away, and I’ll by no means complain about getting extra time with folks I really like a lot.

At first, adjusting to the residence 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 below the fridge, so I couldn’t open it with out making my CSF leak worse. The dishes and pots had been too heavy for me to clean myself, or use comfortably. The listing went on.

These are fixable issues, in fact. I obtained 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 present 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 residence.

Like anything, adjusting to this new life has its ups and downs, and ultimately I obtained previous the frustration and began strategizing methods to repair the issues I used to be dealing with. I additionally obtained a kitchen rolling cart, plenty 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 snug.

I used to be by no means positive if I’d even be capable of stay 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 lively. However my physique both appears to have produced extra CSF, giving me some further “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 ready, with the assistance of labs and specialists, to lastly join the dots. You possibly can learn extra about that course of on my private web site as follows:

Mast cells are “sentinels” of the immune system, a sort of white blood cell that helps management the immune processes within the physique. They’re known as resident immune cells as a result of they reside in tissues and never in our bloodstream. They usually 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 few of the tasks I’ve been engaged on within the months since I final revealed.

Sharing Assets about Ache on Patreon

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

The unhappy actuality is that almost all of us are in a type of two classes.

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

The posts I’ve shared there additionally go into how I made the residence 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 folks really feel dangerous about asking for assist or accepting assist, somebody requested me to speak about learn how to discuss to somebody in ache to assist them get help if they’re cussed. (I’ll be answering this within the subsequent AMA).

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

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

It’s nonetheless fairly new, and up to now it’s been pretty to satisfy some actually attention-grabbing, tremendous inventive folks. 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 embrace 1:1 product help, social media options, enjoyable swag for my Patreon group, in addition to paid alternatives to take part in issues like product focus teams or artistic collaborations with their crew.

I don’t understand how they discovered me, and it’s intimidating as a result of most of the different creators have upwards of 2000 Patrons, however I’m wanting ahead to taking part! On condition that it was all of you who requested me to start out a Patreon, I’ve this group to thank!

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

A One-Time Assist Choice

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

The Curious About Every part Publication

Regardless of all this pleasure of transferring to a brand new place, I’ve managed to maintain my publication working. I’ve been taking part in round with format (and emojis, I can’t assist myself), and primarily spotlighting a couple of essential reads every month, together with extra enjoyable photo-essays and quirky items I discover. I generally embrace private updates, however the focus of the publication is on gifted and/or essential writing price studying.

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

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

You possibly can join under in case you are excited by receiving it.

A Huge Piece about Psychological Mindset (Coming Quickly)

I had a put up known as The right way to Get Via Horrible Instances that I had on this web site, however I’ve quickly taken it down as I deliberate to publish it individually. I’ve been engaged on this piece over the past whereas and it’s nonetheless in enhancing, however I’m excited to share it on the new JE web site.

Redesign of Authorized Nomads:

You might have seen that the positioning is a bit of completely different!

Arthur the raven, my mascot, could be very distinguished. Ravens are such extremely curious birds, and I selected one as my web site’s throughline with a purpose to spotlight that I nonetheless am too, albeit otherwise to earlier than.

And, a brand new slogan: interested by every thing. I’m now not telling tales by means of meals, in order that slogan needed to go. The brand new brand displays a divergence from my prior lifetime of journey and meals, but additionally the reality of who I at all times was: somebody who wished to be taught as a lot as doable.

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

I’ve added well being and persistent ache to the primary classes on the house web page, too, since they’re now an even 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 positioning 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 improvement. The property had been inked by my artist-in-Authorized-Nomadsness Ella F. Sanders. The redesign was completed by an online developer who works for fellow journey blogger Mike’s internet improvement firm. Whereas her work was paid, he donated his personal time professional bono to assist supervise the mission.

Publish Overhauls and Web page Updates:

My morning routine is to rise 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 hold 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 can be 100% gluten free.
• I added a historical past of Belize part, and a “the place is Belize situated” part, as a result of imagine it or not that’s the commonest search time period for this put up. It’s additionally obtained COVID-19 guidelines for visiting, when you had 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 in regards to the candy deal with.
• I up to date my piece on sleep points and jet lag with details about learn how to sleep higher, and new research about chronomedicine and Covid-19.
• I up to date my Vipassana Meditation retreat expertise with some new information in regards to the risks of these sorts of retreats, and the way in some instances they’ll 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 discipline, and a extra clear breakdown of learn how to go about shifting careers if 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 isn’t 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 mentioned that they had been completed supporting that possibility. So I had to determine what service to make use of with a purpose to get these folks their emails. (Since I barely write right here, I had plenty of time to do that!)

For these of you who opted to obtain Authorized Nomads updates by way of e-mail, new posts will probably be despatched by an organization known 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 pal Nathan began the corporate and is a extremely pretty human being; I’d a lot somewhat give my cash to gifted mates than strangers!

In the event you’re not getting Authorized Nomads by way of e-mail, you possibly can join by way of the shape under. That is only for LN posts (about each six months, by way of publishing schedule lately!). My month-to-month publication above is separate.

In the event you had been already subscribed to get Authorized Nomads posts by e-mail, you do not want to do something. I wished to elucidate why the emails look completely different, and let everybody know they’ll additionally join that approach if they like.

That’s it for now!

Whereas the ache I’m in by no means goes away, these tasks and my newfound autonomy have helped make these previous few months a few of the greatest in years. I might not be cell or touring the world anymore, however I imagine that I’m capable of assist extra folks than ever earlier than.

Whether or not it’s serving to navigate robust occasions, 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