#1: WBD (Weekly Brain Dump)

Good Morning!

I want to start off by thanking you, dear reader, for being patient with me over the last few weeks. While my brain has been submerged in law school assignments and exams, my writing has become increasingly complex and irregular. Nonetheless, if you've been able to follow along, I really appreciate your support.

Moving forward, I want to start a series called WBD (aka: Weekly Brain Dump) to share with you what I've thought about this week. I hope that this series can enable us to connect with each other as you learn about the thoughts running through my mind. Perhaps, you can share what's running through yours, too...

1. The Advice Column (Submit your questions here!)

Since reading Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar, I’ve been interested in writing an advice column. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who are living through a transitionary period, a heartbreak, or a cross-roads moment. While I am no Cheryl Strayed (the author of Tiny Beautiful Things and the ‘Sugar’ behind “Dear Sugar”), I hope that I can offer you some insightful advice, an answer, or a thought-provoking conversation to help you navigate whatever challenges you face right now.

Consider this your formal invitation to Dear VALE; a some-what regular advice column where you can ask questions (anonymously, of course!). At the end of each month, I will select 5 questions to answer on the blog. I look forward to hearing from you :)

Have a burning question/query/concern? Let me know!

2. Surviving Law School

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my own experience in law school. While I need not repeat myself, I think it is important to share with you that I have officially completed law school. On one hand, I feel proud of myself. I put my head down and worked through a challenging degree that did not fulfil me, my personal goals, or my yearning desire to be taken seriously as an intellectual woman in my personal and professional circles. On the other hand, this experience has taught me the importance of trusting myself with decisions.

Prior to attending law school, I knew that law was not my dream. I went to law school with a desire to ‘prove myself’ to others. In the end, I’ve finished law school and I've learned that proving myself to others is a never-ending battle. It's a hamster-wheel that spins and spins on an axis while its base never moves forward. As I close this chapter, I am confident in my decision to walk away from law. By accepting this fate, I have recognised the importance of trusting myself.

I am confident that this next chapter will lead me to a place where I can find personal, professional, and internal fulfilment. If you’re facing a similar crossroad in your life, I can only encourage you to trust yourself, and to follow your heart. After all, you know what's best for you.

3. Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Did you know that May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month? Honestly, neither did I. But, as someone living with chronic Lyme disease, I find it necessary to share a bit of my own experience to contextualise this topic.

Doctors suspect that I contracted Lyme disease while on a canoe trip in southern Ontario in 2012. My illness went undiagnosed for years until I started treatment in 2019. However, I experienced (and reported) symptoms long before I sought treatment. It started with headaches, brain fog, and severe fatigue before I fell bedridden in 2015 with severely inflamed joints. Doctors continued to deny my symptoms despite the fact that I could not walk or stay awake for more than 45-minutes. My body was suffering from Lyme disease and doctors refused to acknowledge the possibility of tick-borne illnesses. In the last 7-years, doctors have become increasingly aware of Lyme disease though the illness continues to be largely under-diagnosed.

I share this with you to remind you that, despite what pop culture tells you about Lyme disease, it's a real and debilitating illness that many people live with around the world, whether they know it or not. As a woman who experienced the medical system’s paternalistic approach to female care, pain management, and symptomatic reporting, I recognise that doctors are less likely to believe women when they come forward with symptoms. That being said, if you know someone living with Lyme disease, I urge you to reach out to them this month (or at any point) to let them know that you believe them. Lyme disease is not a religion, or an ideology to believe in; it's a tick-borne illness that wreaks havoc on the immune system. Show your Lyme friends a little extra love today. They will thank you for it.

For more on Lyme disease, see here:

• Lyme Madness by Lori Dennis

• Why Can’t I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease by Richard Horowitz

So, that’s what’s on my mind this week. Now, I ask you: what’s on your mind this week?

With love,

V