What I did in 2025, principally from mattress

Lots of you right here signed up for Authorized Nomads in its early days, again when it was a weblog about my round-the-world adventures. Lengthy earlier than it morphed right into a enterprise, and definitely nicely earlier than my life modified dramatically eight years in the past. Once I first give up my job to journey, the panic of the not-knowing would sometimes creep in. I went from a lock-step profession of authorized work, the place every year wage was introduced and measured, to an unintended entrepreneurship the place I genuinely didn’t know the place my path was heading.

However what a experience it was.

For near a decade, I construct my enterprise round what you, my readers, advised me you wanted or needed. Initially, the positioning was simply the misadventures of my travels and the surprise of what I used to be seeing or experiencing. As my readership grew, and I began having reader meetups or doing meals excursions, you requested me for particular issues.

Legal professionals requested me how I knew when it was proper to give up my job, or how I managed that uncertainty. My different careers for legal professionals sequence and assets web page was born. Celiac readers requested me to put in writing extra about how I discovered meals safely as I traveled. My celiac guides and translation playing cards then turned a part of my work. You requested to fulfill me for soup. I began meals excursions so I might achieve this, then country-based art work in my store that you might take residence after we ate collectively. You needed me to share the articles I learn someplace extra tangible than social media, so I began my Hyperlinks I Liked e-newsletter, which changed into Curious About Every part after my spinal CSF leak started.

There have been different initiatives you requested for, like a course about the way to write tales in a digital world, or posts about how I handle my worry of public talking. These have been in progress by the point that I sustained my leak in 2017, however sadly I needed to put an finish to my hopes of making them as my well being merely doesn’t enable it.

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As you all nicely know, my life nowadays is bodily a teeny tiny sliver of the decadent expanse of my journey years. I’m principally caught in mattress, or at minimal in my residence —particularly in winter, when it’s not secure for me to go outdoors as I danger shedding my meagre ‘uptime’ baseline if I slip. As an alternative of measuring my days in billable hours, it’s measured in “standing increments”; as quickly as I hit my restrict, I not can get up.

Learn how to match all that I wish to create, plus feeding myself and taking good care of primary wants, into the tick-tock of the clock because it runs down towards my limits?

A fellow leak affected person talks about upright time as an hourglass, each as a result of the picture evokes not solely the panic of passing time but additionally the truth that it flows downward, very similar to the strain exerted on my mind and backbone. I’ve adjusted, after these lengthy eight years, to the rigidity of needing to dwell my life on this method. Paradoxically, I by no means needed to measure my time in these billable items once more, but right here I’m needing to rely the seconds as quickly as I get up.

And but, one can accomplish a lot from mattress. Due to expertise, and to group, although my bodily existence is tiny, my life is in any other case infinite. I’ve been capable of replace you all through social media, take part in initiatives I care deeply about, and tackle a management position as a volunteer on the Spinal CSF Leak Basis.

Residing in ache is so exhausting. It’s arduous to essentially quantify the vastness of the weariness, as a result of even making an attempt to take action takes extra out of you. And like many issues in life, this degree of what I usually consult with as ‘granularity’, dwelling a teeny life, isn’t one thing one can comprehend except you’re smack dab within it. Positive, we’re usually able to relative empathy. But actually considering of the constriction of that have, of the fixed abacus of measuring uptime seconds, of not having the ability to tie your personal footwear — it’s not one thing you need to take into consideration till you’re pressured to.

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For me, 2025 began out in despair.

On Christmas Day final 12 months, I slid in my bathe and unspooled my leak baseline to shut to nothing. The following months have been spent principally in mattress, hoping issues would enhance. It felt like time moved slowly, and that I couldn’t dig into the initiatives I needed to work on.

The previous 12 months was one of many hardest I’ve had for causes above and past my leak reopening final December. Each my dad and stepmom have been within the hospital (my dad for a good portion of the 12 months), and serving to handle their care plus my position with the Spinal CSF Leak Basis, plus working my very own enterprise and coping with my very own important well being points virtually broke me.

But trying again on 2025, I in some way managed to do lots whereas supine.

As a result of I publish and share so sometimes, and since this 12 months was so very dense in methods I didn’t assume I might deal with for much longer, I needed to listing out among the issues I’m pleased with this 12 months. It’s for me, too, as a result of I not often cease to think about what I’ve completed earlier than shifting onto the following activity that wants me.

So for each of us, here’s what I did from mattress this 12 months:

I revealed my Curious About Every part Publication every month

CAE’s first iteration was an e mail listing known as “Linkies of the Day”, a compilation of hyperlinks I learn once I was nonetheless lawyering. Once I give up my job in 2008, I began running a blog right here on Authorized Nomads, and stopped sending out compilations of different studying. I didn’t have as a lot time to learn with a whirlwind of journey every day, and Web entry wasn’t as widespread. I bear in mind nonetheless having my Blackberry for the primary 12 months or two of journey, and studying the information to bunkmates in a hostel from it; these days appear quaint in comparison with the firehose of what we will do from our telephones now.

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Both method, just a few years into my unintended enterprise, I began Hyperlinks I Liked as a result of readers requested me to compile the fascinating items I shared through Twitter. I saved that e-newsletter till I sustained my leak.

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Just a few years into my leak when it turned clear my life wasn’t going to ever return to what it was prior, I had cry and actually re-thought the best way I constructed my enterprise and what I beloved most in regards to the life I managed to create. It was curiosity, amongst something, that saved me going, searching for, at all times in awe. I redesigned Authorized Nomads, as you all know, and Hyperlinks I Liked turned Curious About Every part, a e-newsletter that embodies the factor that’s saved me going all these leaky years later.

CAE #1 went out November 15, 2020. 5 years later, I’m at CAE 57, which went out in December. Every month, I compile the perfect issues I learn with a “begin right here” part, in addition to a “the perfect of every little thing else”. On the backside, a “fast hyperlinks” bullet level listing of shorter posts that also caught my eye. And it’s been a pleasure to function one artist every month whose work captured my consideration.

As a result of my Patreon is a paid membership, I’ve saved CAE free. As long as my enterprise continues to earn cash through celiac playing cards and the Patreon, I hope to proceed doing so.

It takes plenty of work every month to place this text collectively, nevertheless it is part of me that has at all times been entrance and centre: the voracious must study after which ship items to individuals I believe would get pleasure from them.

I bought my 25,000th celiac translation card, and supplied 3 new languages

My celiac translation playing cards, which I began after a 2015 journey to Japan when it turned clear {that a} shorter card I used was nonetheless getting me sick, are nonetheless serving to others journey safely even when I’m not capable of go any longer. They’ve been an unimaginable a part of my enterprise to observe evolve.

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What started with a ache level for me and a reader who agreed to check a Japanese beta card I created to unravel it has changed into 21 languages, and whitelisted playing cards for journey brokers, physicians, and hospitals.

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In an period of much less respect for mental property, it’s additionally been irritating to see individuals purchase the cardboard after which promote it themselves after downloading their buy. Nonetheless, the playing cards assist celiacs around the globe eat safely and it feels unimaginable to have the ability to achieve this from mattress.

This 12 months, I bought my 25,000th card, began providing 3 new languages (Croatian, Korean, and Khmer), and have a number of playing cards within the works for 2026.

I revealed 2 new “important gluten free guides” this 12 months.

I can solely spend a small share of uptime on this a part of my work, and have collaborated with readers to assist me be sure that my guides are correct and updated.

This 12 months, I used to be capable of publish my celiac guides to Cambodia, and to South Korea. Every information is free, round 3000-5000 phrases and consists of what meals are secure and unsafe, eating places and retailers which might be appropriate for celiacs, and the related translation card in that nation’s language(s). My journey guides have been amongst first on the net to listing out the secure/unsafe meals on this method; once I began writing them over a decade in the past individuals typically listed the eating places and retailers, and a phrase or two. For me, the largest assist to feeling anxious as a celiac was to study the precise meals within the nation I used to be visiting, and know what to flag on menus or at road stalls each for gluten free gadgets and dishes that have been undoubtedly going to be unsafe. Seemingly as a result of plenty of the meals I beloved to eat was road meals, I wasn’t going into locations that catered to travellers. This meant I wanted to really feel and be ready to grasp the meals within the place I used to be visiting.

My gluten free guides sequence has expanded from that preliminary template from Japan to fifteen nations, together with that South Korea information that was a collaboration with a reader who not too long ago visited the nation. There are further guides (hopefully!) within the works for 2026.

My Patreon turned a house for writing that slot in nowhere else

The issue with being interested by every little thing, is that every one your pursuits don’t match right into a neat area of interest someplace that you may market. This by no means deterred me; I shared what I loved and wrote about what fascinated me over and above what readers requested for.

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Over time, individuals gave me pointed recommendation about solely specializing in life after regulation, or on journey as a celiac. They meant nicely, and needed my enterprise to develop. However I needed my enterprise to be me, and whereas I used to be advised that made me naive (and it could be the case), I’m comfortable that I spent my cellular years doing life on my phrases.

The draw back to life not being on my phrases is that this finite house from which I can write. Sure, I can use my thumbs from mattress on my telephone (and do!) however when the ache will get so unhealthy it blots out any creating. I can solely lie there in the dead of night and watch for issues to enhance.

My Patreon membership is one other factor you readers requested for, and for that I’m grateful. The primary to take action was Justin, and I’ll at all times be glad about his nudge that it was one thing I ought to think about. Once I set it up, as a substitute of getting totally different tiers with membership deliverables that various, I created a “Help Solely” Patreon, the place anybody from every tier had the identical entry.

This fashion, I might ship what my well being and ache allowed, and folks might help my work in no matter method they needed. Every tier is a distinct fowl — Bob the bluebird, Fiona the robin, and naturally Arthur mascot of Authorized Nomads and CAE and curiosity itself, a raven:

So as a substitute of writing extra on Authorized Nomads, I took to my Patreon for the items that match nowhere else. This 12 months I’ve written about:

• Thundersnow: what it’s and why it occurs
• A crash course in regards to the Canadian electoral system
• Whether or not irritation could cause melancholy in individuals with insomnia? (The preliminary reply is sure)
• Why I haven’t gotten extra remedy for my spinal CSF leak
• All about anteaters (a part of a sequence about totally different animals I like, the prior being shoebills) — it is a public put up, so I linked to it

Every month I additionally share overflow hyperlinks that didn’t make it into CAE as a result of I ran out of room, in addition to brief life updates and photographs.

Thanks to those that have been or are within the Patreon! I preserve a listing of members right here, although there are just a few names I nonetheless want so as to add who not too long ago signed up. I’ve talked about prior that I’m not eligible for incapacity in Canada (I know). The constant earnings from my Patreon permits me to focus plenty of my time on my volunteer work, which advantages a large group of spinal CSF leak sufferers. All of us respect your help.

For those who’re excited about changing into a member, I’m providing 15% off till January fifth for all annual signal ups. Simply use code 2025YEAREND.

I used to be a co-author in my first analysis paper

This 12 months, I collaborated with a bunch of physicians to take part as a affected person creator in a paper proposing a brand new standardized reporting measure for dynamic myelography. A myelogram is a diagnostic imaging check that’s utilized in spinal CSF leak, involving a distinction dye injected intrathecally (contained in the dura), to get detailed output that helps find a leak or dural defect.

Dynamic myelography, and particularly dynamic CT Myelography, is a model of myelography that entails altering affected person positioning and scanning in real-time to visualise the distinction because it ‘escapes’, permitting physicians to find sure forms of leaks that is probably not seen with out the dynamic part.

Our paper’s proposed system, known as SIH-RADS, helped enhance understanding of the situation for sufferers, and physicians additionally stated they most popular it to conventional reporting choices. The paper’s title is a mouthful: “Enhancing Readability in Dynamic Myelography Reporting: Outcomes of a Survey of Sufferers and Referring Suppliers Evaluating a Standardized Reporting System within the Myelographic Work-Up of Sufferers with Suspected Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension“. A abstract created by the journal is beneath:

I used to be voted in as Board President of the Spinal CSF Leak Basis, and ran my first hiring course of

I initially began volunteering on the Spinal CSF Leak Basis in 2021, and in some way by 2025 I used to be invited to step up as official Board President. To say this was by no means in my plans is an understatement; I obtained concerned to try to help sufferers in additional official methods than my writing. I stayed to maintain contributing to analysis and progress within the subject as a lot as I might. And I ended up being within the President position unexpectedly (that could be a theme in my life, I do know…)

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An excellent chunk of of my waking hours have been devoted to the Basis this 12 months, together with the necessity to rent a brand new govt director. It was my first rodeo planning a hiring course of, and it was each fascinating and really hectic. We obtained over 130 functions complete, way over anticipated. Creating questions, coordinating and attending the interview course of with board members, making a scoring course of, after which trying into the authorized elements of hiring with the assistance of professional bono employment counsel I introduced on (thanks Jess!) was lots.

Along with hiring, there was planning the annual convention within the subject, engaged on launching the primary worldwide affected person registry for spinal CSF leak, planning our consciousness week known as leakweek, working Board conferences, and protecting the org working with the assistance of the Board till the hiring course of was full and I might absolutely onboard our new ED.

It’s volunteer work, and folks usually ask why I’m doing a lot if it’s totally free. My reply is twofold, one I’m very lucky that whereas my enterprise undoubtedly wants extra tending to — it nonetheless can run with little enter from me daily. And secondly, that given what number of pots I had my fingers in unexpectedly on the org facet, I used to be fearful that if I left initiatives I cared about would sputter. I couldn’t think about what that may be like for the broader group of leak sufferers.

It’s been a profoundly humbling expertise to be in a management position and assist transfer analysis and coverage ahead. I by no means imagined going to regulation college that I’d be concerned in a medical analysis paper, nor assist run a 501(c)(3) a few situation I’d by no means heard of.

Whereas exhausting, this 12 months was additionally a stunning reward. I’ve stated I felt like I had 3 lives thus far: a lawyer life, a travelling life, and an advocate and creator life. Being on this management position pressured me to combine my disparate “lives” in methods I by no means anticipated. I used my ‘authorized mind’, I used expertise I picked and honed up working my enterprise, and I continued to assist advocate alongside an important Board of Administrators. The online of all of it is the primary time since I began leaking that I consider I can nonetheless discover my method on the earth cognitively, though I’ve a debilitating neurological situation.

I do must get again to my very own enterprise, and I’m hoping because the 12 months goes on I’ll slowly be capable of shift among the de facto ED work to our new (pretty!) govt director, and keep within the Board President position.

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I spoke at a convention about boundaries to care in spinal CSF leak

And did so standing up!

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This speak made me very nervous as a result of I felt the strain of representing the spinal CSF leak group as greatest I might, whereas additionally speaking in a method that (hopefully) made physicians prepared to hear.

It was an uncommon speak as a result of it was structured as a ‘fireplace chat’, an open dialog between me and Dr. Andrew Callen, a neuroradiologist from from College of Colorado. We tackled totally different matters within the subject from the angle of sufferers vs. physicians, and had an open and uncooked dialogue in regards to the elements which might be powerful for every class.

Suggestions was constructive, and I’m honoured that he requested me to take part on this 12 months’s convention. I used to be the one affected person speaker, however we did have affected person moderators who did a unbelievable job of guiding questions following prior physician-only talks.

I up to date some older posts with new knowledge or retrospectives, and revealed one put up

• I up to date my put up about my Vipassana meditation expertise in New Zealand with a more moderen part that appears again on this 10-day silent meditation course ten years later.
• I up to date my jet lag suggestions put up with new research about sleep and modifications to the apps I really helpful beforehand
• I up to date my mast cell activation syndrome web page with new dietary shifts I’ve undertaken, and plenty of new research about thyroid situations and mast cells, lengthy covid and MCAS, and extra. Years in the past, I wrote about touring with nervousness and insomnia, two parts of what felt like inexorable darkness that adopted me in every single place. Each the nervousness and the insomnia, it seems, have been a byproduct of a dysfunctional immune system. An immune system that turned much more dysfunctional as soon as I obtained dengue fever from a mosquito in Vietnam, after which went into overdrive once I sustained my leak. With the consolation of that understanding, and extra common sleep than ever earlier than, I made a decision to construct the assets I want I had when desperately making an attempt to determine what was unsuitable. The distinction, this time, was I had to take action in 20 minute increments as a substitute of the hours of deep work I used to get pleasure from, however these 20,000 phrases hopefully will assist others with the situation.
• I up to date my celiac’s information to Ottawa put up with some new eating places I attempted this 12 months. This put up will likely be a dwelling tree as I proceed to eat my method across the metropolis I now name residence.
• I up to date my assets web page for legal professionals who wish to go away the regulation. Readers inform me it’s helpful for any profession change, and the method actually served me nicely many a time in my life.
• I revealed a bit about the parable of telling chronically unwell sufferers to “simply struggle tougher”, and it features a compilation of quotes from others with complicated circumstances like mine.

Whereas I want I had extra bandwidth to put in writing new posts, I do try to preserve these articles with analysis background present as new knowledge emerge. And people which might be essential to my life path, just like the Vipassana retreat was for me, deserved just a few further phrases 10 years later.

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I recorded an episode with The Listening to, a Thomson Reuters podcast

The Listening to is a authorized podcast by Thomson Reuters that launched in 2018, and explores the individuals, concepts, and points in as we speak’s authorized world. With hosts primarily based in each the US and the UK, the present brings a worldwide perspective to conversations throughout authorized and public coverage landscapes. The producers reached out through my contact kind to ask if I’d be excited about taking part in a podcast episode about my recommendation to legal professionals who wish to change careers, in addition to the trajectory of my very own work life.

It’s 53 minutes lengthy, and I had enjoyable with the host — she requested nice questions, and was straightforward to speak and share with. I used to take part in podcast interviews usually, however much less so since my leak started. I hope you discover it fascinating!

You may hear on Apple Podcasts right here, or on Spotify right here.

We raised $4,217 USD for spinal CSF leak as a group!

This previous June, you all helped me hit the highest of the leaderboard for leakweek, the annual consciousness week for spinal CSF leak. Thanks for all of your contributions and donations, and your help!

It’s been on chaotic and dense 12 months, however trying again on the entire above I really feel grateful for this unbelievable group and the weather of my enterprise which have allowed me to study a lot about my situation within the hopes of serving to others.

Wishing each one in all you all the perfect for the 12 months forward,