Hello! I’m a software engineering manager by vocation, currently waylaid by a complex illness (that includes, among other things: ME/CFS, MCAS, POTS, spinal issues, Lyme & Bartonella, and mold toxicity). I’m a patient who plays an active role in my treatment by engaging directly with medical literature. When I talk about medical things on my blog, I’m drawing from a combination of that research, the many well-regarded specialists I’ve seen (and continue to see), and my own personal experience—both qualitative and quantitative. My educational background is in physics and applied mathematics, and while that doesn’t make me an MD, it does at least mean you can trust I’m not going to take an N of 12 study in mice and wildly tout it on my blog as a cure-all.
(Still, obligatory disclaimer: Nothing I share on my blog is meant to be taken as medical advice for you personally. My intent in sharing my knowledge is to be but one data point among the many that you hopefully are collecting as you make your own medical decisions.)
It’s not all doom and gloom around here though. I started this blog in January 2024 to see if by making writing about everyday life a regular practice (my “Week in Review” posts), I could lower the energy barrier to writing more longer-form works that I’ve had kicking around in my ever-growing drafts folder for a while. I’ve had one success with that so far (my piece “On Lent”), and I hope to have more soon. I think at first my writing will be philosophical meanderings, but as/if my health improves, I’d like to try my hand at other forms of nonfiction that would require more research. I also hope to offer pieces summarizing things I’ve learned in my illness journey, that may be of use to other sick folks or those who care about them.
When not actively wrangling my illness, I study French, I read, and I knit. I live in a tiny house I’ve named Timbit (like the donut holes) and am working on a 2024 goal to watch every Katharine Hepburn movie. Were I to become well someday, I would love to re-engage more fully with my other loves in life like travel, music, and a long list of physical activities.
Kate Violette 