Concussions, Lyme Disease, and Building a Global Impact Company - Manpreet Dhillon
Manpreet Dhillon- Bio
With over 20 years of experience in leadership, coaching, human resources, and change management, Manpreet focuses on creating systemic change to address institutionalized inequalities through representation from the communities being served. As a settler, born in Canada with parents from India, and someone living with invisible disease, Manpreet is a powerful advocate for others who live with it too.
Manpreet is a certified Personal and Executive Coach, Human Resources Professional, and Internal Auditor who uses her skills and expertise to create strong organizational cultures and provide economic empowerment to equity-deserving groups. Her experience in community development, knowledge transfer, project management, and gender mainstreaming sets her apart as an expert in the field.
Manpreet ranked #15 globally on the 2020 EmPower Ethnic Minority Future Leaders list and is a contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul, Forbes, Thrive Global, and CHRP People Talk.
She also serves as an Ambassador with the Women's Enterprise Center and was a Business Coach for the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities program. In 2018, she led one of the first trade missions held by a private company, guiding women entrepreneurs to Croatia to further the mission of increasing exports by women entrepreneurs.
Manpreet has held positions as a board member of the Canada India Education Society, liveBIG Society, British Columbia Institute of Technology Alumni Board of Directors, was a past Board Member of Royal Roads University, and has served on various arts and health boards.
Contact Links:
Website: Veza Global
Instagram: Manpreet Dhillon, Veza Global
LinkedIn: Manpreet Dhillon, Veza Global
Summary:
Are you someone who turns your toughest challenges into a force for positive change, not just for yourself but for others too? How do you find the strength to advocate for yourself and a more inclusive world, even when facing your invisible struggles?
In this episode, Tim Reitsma interviews Manpreet Dhillon, who shares her experiences living with invisible conditions and the importance of addressing uncomfortable topics. They discuss the need for creating safe spaces for disclosure and the power of not having all the answers. Manpreet also opens up about her childhood diagnosis and the impact it had on her life. She emphasizes the role of determination in overcoming challenges and acknowledges the support of caregivers. Lastly, she talks about living with multiple concussions and how they have affected her life. Manpreet Dhillon shares her journey of living with concussions and Lyme disease, and how it has impacted her relationships, lifestyle, and work. She discusses the importance of seeking medical help, finding relief through neuro-vision therapy and chiropractic care, and the challenges of managing her conditions. Manpreet emphasizes the need for self-advocacy and the strength to ask for help. She also highlights the importance of embracing vulnerability and recognizing one's worth. Manpreet's vision is to support individuals in thriving in the workplace and to end the stigma surrounding invisible conditions.
Takeaways:
Embrace Open Dialogue: Understand the value of discussing tough topics openly to increase understanding and empathy in all areas of life.
Value Vulnerability and Honesty: See the strength in admitting when you're unsure and the power of honesty in building stronger connections.
Recognize the Power of Early Experiences: Early challenges can shape resilience and determination for a fulfilling life.
Appreciate Caregiver Support: Caregivers are crucial in overcoming health challenges and offering emotional support and confidence.
Understand the Impact of Conditions: Recognize how conditions like concussions and Lyme disease can impact life and work, stressing the need for understanding and accommodations.
Prioritize Self-Advocacy: Learn the importance of advocating for yourself and the role of medical help in managing conditions.
Definition, Resources and Example Accommodations:
Concussions
Definition: Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull. Multiple concussions can lead to long-term cognitive and physical symptoms, including headaches, difficulty concentrating, and emotional irregularities.
Workplace Accommodations:
Flexible scheduling to allow for medical appointments and rest periods.
Provision of a quiet, well-lit work area to reduce sensory overload.
Allowance for remote work or providing a work-from-home option as needed.
School Accommodations:
Extended time for tests and assignments to manage cognitive fatigue.
Permission to record lectures or providing lecture notes to accommodate memory or concentration issues.
Frequent breaks during class to prevent cognitive overload.
Lyme Disease
Definition: Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by the Borrelia bacterium which is spread by ticks. Symptoms can include fatigue, fever, headaches, and in severe cases, it can affect the joints, heart, and nervous system.
Workplace Accommodations:
Flexible work hours to accommodate fluctuating symptoms and energy levels.
Work from home options to reduce exposure to environmental stressors.
Adjustments to job duties that are physically demanding.
School Accommodations:
Flexible attendance policies to accommodate periods of illness.
Alternative assignment formats to reduce physical strain or cognitive load.
Access to rest areas or permission to step out as needed for symptom management.
Endometriosis
Definition: Endometriosis is a painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus. It can cause severe pain, especially during menstrual periods, and fertility problems.
Workplace Accommodations:
Flexible scheduling, especially during periods of increased pain.
Access to a private rest area for emergency pain management.
Remote work options to manage symptoms from home.
School Accommodations:
Flexible deadlines and attendance policies to accommodate absences due to severe pain.
Access to on-site health services for emergency pain management.
Permission to carry and use medications as needed.
Autoimmune Conditions
Definition: Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own cells, leading to inflammation and tissue damage. Symptoms and severity can vary widely depending on the specific condition and the parts of the body affected.
Workplace Accommodations:
Environmental controls to reduce exposure to potential triggers (e.g., air filters for individuals sensitive to chemicals or allergens).
Ergonomic workstations to reduce physical strain.
Flexibility in work hours and the ability to take breaks as needed to manage symptoms.
School Accommodations:
Access to disability services for tailored support and advocacy.
Adapted physical education programs to accommodate mobility or energy limitations.
Use of assistive technology and devices to support learning and participation.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Advocacy and Impact in Invisible Conditions
00:11:17 Creating Space for Connection and Empowerment
00:15:49 Overcoming Childhood Illness With Determination
00:24:46 Long-Term Impact of Multiple Concussions
00:31:49 Journey of Healing and Resilience
00:37:59 Advocacy, Impact, and Strength
00:48:29 Ending Stigma
Transcript
Manpreet Dhillon 00:00
I am driven by the impact I want to make in the world. At 13, I decided I wanted to end sexism, racism and war, like age 13,. No idea why, but that was what I decided. So everything I'm doing right now is in that field, and so for me it's not even an option to be like, yeah, some days I do feel sorry for myself or I feel like a victim and I'm pissed and I'm mad at God. I'm mad at like the world. I'm mad at like the world. I'm mad at everything else.
Tim Reitsma 00:31
But then I'm like I have a. There's a reason why I was put on this earth and I have to make my life, you know meaningful and leave my own legacy in a different way. This podcast is supported by storiedworkcom. Do you ever struggle to get your thoughts written down in a clear and structured way? I often do, and when I'm planning my podcast scripts or articles, I have so many ideas in my head and I struggle to get them organized in writing. With Storied, all I need to do is speak in my thoughts and the tool automatically organizes my ideas. I love it because it provides feedback and prompts me to fill in any gaps. To make my message crystal clear, storied was founded by a dyslexic physicist who needed a new kind of tool to write, by a dyslexic physicist who needed a new kind of tool to write. What their team discovered was that seeing your thoughts and ideas turn into clearly structured text unlocks potential for almost everyone. If you're having trouble translating your thoughts into clearly written content, such as articles or social posts, try Storied for free. Go to storiedworkcom.
01:21
Are you someone who turns your toughest challenges into a force for positive change, not just for yourself, but for others too? How do you find the strength to advocate for yourself and for a more inclusive world, even when you're facing your invisible struggles. Hey, tim here and thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Invisible Condition Podcast, where we talk about advocacy and unusually normal things the conditions, diseases and illnesses we live with. We will end the stigma of invisible conditions by empowering voices, and today's voice is brought to us by Manpreet.
01:49
Dhillon Manpreet lives with multiple concussions, lyme disease and other invisible conditions. At a young age, she became focused on making an impact in the world and she's doing just that. The founder of Vesa Global a diversity, equity, accessibility and blogging consultancy to working with the UN, manpreet is focused on impact. This episode explores how facing and sharing our struggles with invisible health issues can empower us to inspire change. It's about finding the strength in vulnerability and the importance of advocating for a more understanding and inclusive world. Have a listen, manpreet. Thank you for joining the Invisible Condition podcast. We met many years ago. I actually brought your organization, vesa Global, into the organization I was in to do a diversity audit, and so I just love the work you're doing and I know you're very outspoken and very open about the invisible conditions you live with, so I knew that it was just natural to have you on the podcast. So thanks for joining me.
Manpreet Dhillon 02:56
Thanks for having me. I'm so excited about the work. I mean, yeah, we met like back in 2020 and it's been so exciting to see your journey and I'm so glad you're getting these stories out there and kind of end the stigma around invisible conditions as well. So happy to be here.
Tim Reitsma 03:10
Yeah, you know it's ending the stigma. It's a big, lofty goal, big lofty vision, and so people have questioned it. But more people are behind it, and I'm just grateful to have your voice behind what we're trying to do. So why don't you just tell us a little bit about yourself and some of the conditions that you live with?
Manpreet Dhillon 03:29
For sure. So the conditions I actually live with are concussions. I've had 10 concussions, which is not fun. It's really impacted my life in many ways, and I have Lyme disease and endometriosis and other autoimmune conditions I grew up at. But when I was five years old I had an autoimmune disease where the muscle cells were attacking themselves. So it's been something that I've and I was one of the rare and the amazing thing is, every time I'm like one of the people that recovers from, like the rare people that recovers from these conditions. So, germomyositis only 6 000 canadians have it and I was one of the three percent that actually fully recovered um, as a juvenile, and then I ended up all the concussions and everything else, and so from that it's and actually my diversity, inclusion work didn't actually start because of the conditions I live with.
04:20
I've always just I didn't even know I was, I wasn't diagnosed actually until like the three years, uh, five years ago with a brain, a minor brain injury, and three years ago with Lyme disease. I just lived with chronic fatigue, exhaustion all the time, um, and just not being able to really function in life. What I thought was normal. I pushed myself a lot, which led to multiple burnouts, um. So now I do equity, diversity, inclusion work, looking at system, systemic change within organizations and how to create organizations that actually help people thrive. I was focused more on gender equality and race. That's where my work started and, as I've been diagnosed, I've started to bring in more of this invisible conditions as well, because it's such an important piece, and now lately the conversation has been a lot about perimenopausal and menopausal women, because it's been somehow just being an age bracket. I am, and we're getting looking at women's health in the workplace as well, so it's been exciting work to talk about topics that no one else wants to talk about.
Tim Reitsma 05:16
It's so important to be talking about these topics that nobody wants to talk about, and it's still just I don't say to say blows my mind or frustrated with it that we just don't want to talk about it. We don't want to talk about diversity, inclusion or, as you'd mentioned, menopause in the workplace, which is an important conversation to have in the workplace. And why do we shy away from that? Why do workplaces say you know what, we want our people to thrive, but we're not going to talk about these topics.
Manpreet Dhillon 05:48
And then I find that the conversation is completely different. They're very open and they really want to engage and create a different world, a different place to work or because of the personal connection. But we can't. We need to get to a place where it's not just about from personal connection that we want to create change. We want to create which is amazing when we do want to create from personal connection as well but it needs to be just for the betterment of society in general.
06:29
And I mean I know that there's a lot of topics out there that are hard to kind of focus on.
06:31
There's so much going on in the world and there's so much it's always hard to put where your energy goes. But this is where, if we actually create systems that where everyone can thrive, we can actually focus our energy on creating a better world as well. I'm a little bit of an idealistic person, so I believe that you know, we can create a better place, but the systemic change, I think, doesn't happen because people are just uncomfortable and people are not okay with being uncomfortable, but also because they're not emotionally attached to it, and they're not. They don't understand the experience of someone else and we're so disconnected in society is like. In this individual society that we live in, we forget that our neighbor might be, you know, dealing with something drastically different, that they might actually need us to say hello to them, or they might need that extra you know, support to go to the grocery store, or they might just need that job to help them pay their bills, and that doesn't mean that they do just entry-level work because they have a disability. No-transcript.
Tim Reitsma 07:39
So I think it just goes back to people not knowing and the discomfort as well. People don't know. You're absolutely right, the discomfort. It does make people uncomfortable. I was talking with somebody who is in the HR field, who was diagnosed with something, and they had said there's just so much nerves and emotion and fear wrapped around having to disclose to their workplace because it dramatically impacted their work to a place where they needed to disclose and they didn't feel necessarily safe or trusted. The outcome was positive but it took so much emotion just to get to that place. And if we, like we said, we create systems, we create these places, whether it's in the school system, in our family system or in the workplace where somebody discloses and we say thanks for trusting me with that. Let me know what support you need and we'll get that.
Manpreet Dhillon 08:34
That's it, and I think that's actually the space that we need to start looking at is how do you give people the tools and the conversation pieces so that they can have these conversations? I think, a lot of the time the discomfort. I just had a conversation with a client on Friday where she was just like I don't know what to say, so I don't know how to put it into words. So when someone discloses they need accommodations, I'm like I don't know how to respond to it. And if we give them the language, I think that that will change a lot of how people feel about disclosing.
09:07
I have many friends who are like neurodiverse and they're just like I don't, I don't want to tell my employer because then they're going to think less of me. And you know, and I know that even now when I disclose like I'm open about my conditions because I'm like I don't have anything to hide but I know I get reactions from others who are like are you really going to be able to handle this or is this going to be too much for you? I'm like that's not the question to ask. I know what's too much for me. It's not for you to judge how it's too much for me as well.
Tim Reitsma 09:36
Yeah, it's amazing, right it's. Are you going to be able to handle this? Are you going to be able to see this through? Versus. Hey, thanks for trusting us with that. Thanks for disclosing, and we really appreciate that. Let us know how we can support you. We want you to thrive and we know by you thriving, our organization is going to thrive. So that's a language we need to adopt, and somebody said to me recently we were talking about a complex topic and their answer was you don't need the answers. That's the answer. You don't need to have all the answers. Be honest, hey, thanks for trusting me with this. I honestly don't know what our policy is, or don't know what, how to respond, but you know what. I'm going to go and find an answer for you.
Manpreet Dhillon 10:29
So hang tight, that's the best answer. Like that's when people just claim that they don't know something. It's actually the best answer that you can give to anyone, regardless of what the situation is Like. I just remember, like even with a friend, I was dealing with the loss of my brother and I had a friend. She's like I don't really know how to support you right now and I don't know how to be there for you, and she's like I don't know if I have the capacity. And I'm like I had so much more respect for her Because she was just like I don't know what to do, I don't have the capacity and I just want you to be well, and and she's like that's all I can provide for you right now. I'm like, hey, that's the best you can do.
11:07
And I think, like that answer, even though she was able to do nothing for me but that. But she, what she did was set up a boundary, but also just claimed what she was and wasn't able to do. So I wasn't. And actually like years later, when we, when we did reconnect, um, our relationship is just as beautiful as it was back then, because we both had created the space that we both needed for ourselves to flourish. And then, when you do that in the workplace, you're actually creating space for yourself to flourish as a manager, you're creating space for yourself to flourish and also going to get educated on how you can help this person, but also someone else, and it's actually a really amazing thing because there's a learning opportunity, because otherwise we get to the day-to-day and it gets kind of boring. And then now there's like this great learning opportunity. But how do I address this to not make this a challenge for someone else, which is like the best way to do it, I think.
Tim Reitsma 11:54
I find that and I do this I'm really guilty of. This is just wired to provide a solution.
Manpreet Dhillon 12:00
Yeah.
Tim Reitsma 12:18
Oh, completely. You don't need us to provide a solution, because you might not know what the solution is. So, instead of trying to fake it and I love, what your friend did was they acknowledged it, they honored it and were completely honest and transparent say, look, I, I don't have the capacity right now.
Manpreet Dhillon 12:38
And you remember that years later, you still remember that completely, and I love the fact that you just said like it is about the fact that, um, you don't have to always provide the solution, because it's we're.
12:50
Actually. I had to like learn this for myself because I'm so used to just, okay, I can get this done, I can get this done, which is also being a like from a feminine core. That's a very masculine way to do things, where you're trying to overpower someone else and like not do it in a way of connection, but you're actually disconnecting from the person. When you're trying to take away from someone's experience. If we actually like look, I can be here with you, what do you need and what can I? How can I support you? All of a sudden, you're actually harnessing a deeper connection with the person, connection with a person, and you're also creating a space for them to feel more empowered and make choice in their life, and make a choice that works for them rather than a choice that works for you, and that's actually really powerful to have at that as well.
Tim Reitsma 13:36
Yeah, you think about who's that center of the conversation, right, as soon as you say, hey, I live with multiple concussions or Lyme disease, and somebody is going through their mind and going, okay, I read something about concussions and so as soon as Manpreet is done talking, I'm going to offer this as a solution. So now, all of a sudden you've uh, the person on the other end or a person who's listening is not actually listening. I mean, this is classic coaching technique. Is that act of listening? I call it authentic curiosity. Put away the noise, put away that assumption that you have an answer and just get curious. And I would love to back up a little bit. You said you were diagnosed with something when you were 10 years old and I'm wondering if you can just talk a little bit about that diagnosis, that condition, that invisible condition.
Manpreet Dhillon 14:24
Yeah, so it was actually five years old. Okay, germomyositis, and it's where your muscle cells how I was explained it was muscle cells attack themselves and it was so, yeah, the moment that that I, when I found out I was going to get diagnosed it was interesting because I was. It was a cold day and I still actually remember this moment um, I was walking to school all bundled up, and all of a sudden, um, and for some reason my mom was like looking from the window that day which usually never happened, but anyways, I would cross the street and all of a sudden I fell and I didn't have any power in my legs and I couldn't get back up and I was just sitting there in the cold, cold, snow, snow, and it was so cold and I remember my body's just shivering from it and it was just like freezing and I'm like, and I'm like feeling like, oh my god, what am I gonna do? Because I can't get up, and I'm like looking around, there's no one else around, for some reason. I used to always walk with someone, but that day I didn't. But all of a sudden, my mom like saw that I hadn't gotten up and we, and then she like ran across she was wrong with you and I'm like I can't move my legs and there's nothing. I can't, just can't function. So anyways, um, that led to diagnosis, led to like my mom was like only 24 at that time. Um, it led her to like, you know, like when you love someone, you do things so outside of there, like you're going to do anything it takes. She like drove on the high, you know coca-cola highway for the first time from kamloops and she's like taking me to all these doctors. She's like I need to get, you know, a solution for my daughter.
15:49
Um, at the time, um, they had put me into surgery because they didn't really know a lot about this condition and it made me gain like 30 pounds as a child, like in a month, from prednisone and uh, and it just it impacted the rest of my life, like it impacted how I was able to move. Um, I couldn't really play with kids, um, because I couldn't run. The same, I couldn't, like I was actually for a couple months I just didn't even really walk and um, I remember that you know they used a lot of ancient like um, ayurvedic techniques on me, like the almond oil and things like that, things like our grandmas used to use and that's the only thing that was working to actually get energy back in my legs. And so, um, it took me a couple months and I got recovered and, to their surprise, and they're like, okay, it's under control. Um, then I had a remission.
16:42
Uh, seven years later, uh, sorry, two years later, um, again like completely destroyed everything about my life and confidence and stuff like that. And then the third time I had it, um, no, it's fine again. And then the third time I was in. We were in Paris and all of a sudden, I'm like I don't feel so well and my mom's like, okay, and there was certain conditions they would look for, like a rash on my joints, and like you know how I was feeling. My mom's like, oh, you have a rash, like this doesn't look good. So we cut our trip short, we went back to Canada and, lo and behold, they're like, oh, it's flared up again.
17:21
Um, and I didn't want to go to school because this was in august. And I didn't want to go to school because I was like my, I've gained so much weight. All of a sudden, because from the prednisone, you just blow up and you're grade seven, like your confidence is impacted, your body image, like, and so I actually, um, so my mom called the teacher and she's like, my mom doesn't want to come to school because she's scared that the kids are gonna make fun of her. Can you like what? And he's like, okay, I'll talk to the kids before she comes. And so, apparently, so they did. They talked to the kids before I came. Like this is she's gonna look different than what she did last year and you know, whatever, and and it was really positive because everyone was really like, no one ever asked me about it. They were just like treating me the same as they always did. And, um, and it was really interesting because, like, after that, I started playing. Um, I got the concussions after that, but I started playing ice hockey.
18:03
Um, I didn't know how to skate. I started like, and I was on the basketball team at school. I played volleyball. Um, I became like super active and I actually wanted to be an athletic therapist for Team Canada Women. Um, and I had, like, the Team Canada Women's team actually taught me how to skate. So it was really a great feat when you're coming from, like not being able to use your legs to coming to a place where the women from Team Canada are like teaching you how to skate. And Hylia Wickenheiser was the first person who taught me to skate and when I met her years later she was like I totally remember you. And I was like I totally remember you and I was like what is this woman doing? She's like 16, doesn't know how to skate. She's at like trying out for BC summer. I was at a hockey camp at that time.
18:43
I tried out for BC summer games but it was also it gave me.
18:48
You know, I just remember as a child people would always like look at my parents and be like is she okay?
18:53
And I'd be sitting right there and no one would have talked to me.
18:55
It was like I had become invisible.
18:56
As soon as I got the disease, I became invisible and I was so tired of people only connecting to me because I was sick and I felt like I had so much to offer.
19:06
And it was interesting because I just had a Tony Robbins weekend and I realized that I was still using that connection of sickness as a way to still connect with people, even though that was when I was five years old, because I thought that's the only way people would love me because I felt sick and it's not true. But it's also it's so interesting to how, as a child, that got imprinted on me, thinking that that's how I can connect to people and how they relate. And when people only see you as being sick, they forget that there's so much other other aspects of you that's like available to get to know and become curious about that. When they define you as that's all they define you as they forget, they don't actually get to know you then and that's where, like afterwards, I had to really like I was, like I became so public, right, like the way that I show up in the world, um, because I'm like there's so much more to me rather than me being having a disease, and so so it was really interesting experience.
Tim Reitsma 19:59
There's so much more to you than just having a disease. Oh man, if, if somebody is listening to this and that's what they're taking away, just take that away. There's so much more to you than just your disease, and I've said this numerous times and I'll continue to say this is my normal. Looks different than your normal, right. Your normal was hey, you weren't able to walk. It was a remission. You're able to walk. I'm going to learn how to skate, I'm going to just go. And that determination was was that your kind of defining moment of like? You know what? I'm not letting this slow me down.
Manpreet Dhillon 20:39
What's so funny? Cause I never thought about it until like recently, where I was like I didn't realize I was so determined because I just did things that felt right and I was like I want to do something, I'm just going to do it. And I also I'm really supportive by my parents because, like I was like I want to take ballet, my parents will put me in ballet classes. I went to, I did tap, I did soccer, like it was always. Like I got to, my parents were just like, okay, go try whatever you're doing. But it's also like, whatever my heart desired I just did.
21:05
And I think because you, when you realize that you can lose it in a moment, and like whatever that is, I think I just kind of made a decision to really fully live life, in a way that to live a full life and so nothing really kind of stops me. You know, over the years, as I get older, now the fear has creeped in. Now I'm like, oh, do I really want to get back on skates when I can't skate? And I was like, no, my feet hurt, like so different. But yeah, it was. But that determination is something that has like shown up as a great trait of mine, and I think it has to do with the fact that you just realize that life can change for you in a moment and it literally did change for me in a moment and that you just want the next moment to be everything that you want it to be.
Tim Reitsma 21:46
What you said reminds me of a previous on the podcast, sean Bernstein, who he's a hemophiliac, and he said his parents made a decision and he said it was either pad the world or pad the child. And his parents said you know what? We're going to let John run wild. And so he said, even in his childhood house, his parents still live there, there's tape and foam still around some of the corners, around the fireplace and things like that. And it's like you know what I want you to have the most normal quote, unquote normal life as you can, and so have fun. And he said that was a defining moment. He still remembers that like that gave him that confidence and has instilled confidence in him. That sounds like your parents did that as well.
Manpreet Dhillon 22:31
They did Like. I remember when we were at I mean I didn't realize my mom had like overcome her fear of driving on the highway highway to like take me to the hospital in Vancouver. But I remember like when we my dad would come visit me and it was always like you bring me this, like you give me this stuff toy that I actually still have somewhere and but it was like this moment that they're just like you, it's your mindset that's going to make the difference. It nothing else right. And then they were just so positive about everything and I mean they were pretty beaten down like this is hard to watch your child go through any condition and what that looks like. But I don't actually remember them being ever stressed about it.
23:11
Even though they were like it wasn't something that they never and that they never stopped me. They never stopped believing that I can do anything and I think that helped me believe that they never stopped me. They never stopped believing that I can do anything and I think that helped me believe that I can do anything. And I think that's where it goes back to like when people believe in you more than you believe in yourself, like that makes the world of a difference and I think I got that from my parents and I remember that, like being in doctor's offices and they're just like, oh, she may not be able to have kids or she may not be able to walk again, and my parents are like, no, no, she'll be fine, and that was it, Like there was no like question about it.
Tim Reitsma 23:44
So Wow, I love that. Thanks for sharing that. The caregivers in our life. Big shout out to caregivers who are there, who stand by us, who walk life with us, unwavering, and sometimes wavering because we're human and things get hard. But that's a testament to how you were brought up and that determination. I love that. What I know about you is it seems like you put your mind to something and there you go, and I would love if you can just tell us a little bit about 10 concussions. I've known people who've had a few concussions Maybe they've had to stop mountain biking or riding a motorcycle from their second concussion or something like that and 10 concussions, and how has that impacted your life? How has that?
Manpreet Dhillon 24:39
impacted your life, or has it impacted your life Drastically has? But it's also interesting, I wonder. So the first one was when I was in grade nine, I dropped a deep fire over my head and then, in grade 11, I walked into a sign. So I have a dent in my head like a physical dent, and then, two weeks later, misjudged where the boards were because I didn't realize I had a concussion and I was playing ice hockey. Misjudged where the boards were, fell on the ice. Then, a couple months later, a friend dropped a hockey stick on the head 20 years to the date, almost later. Um, me and my cousin were playing ball hockey because we started playing ball hockey to honor my brother and, uh, he, my cousin, is full muscle. We banged into each other and I fell on the floor and I'm like my head just bounced and I was like, oh, this is not good, but it was almost 20 minutes, 20 years to the date, and there's a reason why I'm mentioning this. And then, a couple months, happened afterwards. One was like my niece just tapped me on the head and I got a concussion because at that point my brain had, you know, and the last one I got was I was living in the Netherlands and it was a windy day and the door flipped open and hit me in the head and all of these.
25:45
After a while, what happened? What happened was, um, I didn't realize that it wasn't until 2018, when I was like I should, like I had friends. So, 2016, when I got like a series of like three or four concussions, a friend friend was like you need to go get a baseline done. I was like, no, I'm fine, he's like you should get a baseline because he's like your brain's going to start getting impacted. You need a baseline. And so I started to put it off, put it off, and but I was like I didn't realize I had gotten like really light sensitive at the time and I was just getting overwhelmed all the time. The time I have had a lot of anxiety. Um, couldn't haven't slept in years, like I still haven't slept in years, and I couldn't figure out what, what was going on. And then, um, fast forward, I had to leave my job and I just like up and quit, like emotional decisions, you know, made right, right in the spot, which is a sign of like concussions as well sometimes and, um, I quit my job and I left.
26:37
And then 2018, I finally went to a neurologist and he was like, look, I don't believe in concussions, but you have minor brain injury, but you're actually seem to be functioning pretty well, but you shouldn't really be working anymore. And he's like your brain's too far gone, you shouldn't be working. I was like, well, that's not going to happen. That. And I started to research and I was like, oh, like, so a lot of my life of like, where I stay, I try to stay in the dark, or I feel constant nausea, I feel constant motion sickness. I was like this isn't normal, so 20 um. I ended up.
27:14
A friend was like had just dealt with concussions. She's like you need to go to neurovision therapist and I, I don't like I don't even know what that is. And she's like I mean, no one told me to go. She's like you should go, go to the neurovision therapist within five minutes. She's like how nauseated do you feel all the time? I'm like all the time Like it's horrible, like I don't think the ground's ever stable, like, and I fall constantly and all these things. And she's like that's all symptoms of your brain and your eyes are not communicating. And so I'm so glad I met the neurovision therapist and um, and because it just made a world of a difference for me, um, literally, um, I was able to, I like, and she worsened the symptoms. So I was on bed rest. Actually, when my company was growing, because I was on bed rest, because I couldn't, they made the symptoms so much worse and at that point I only had had seven concussions.
28:03
And then, 2019, at the end of the year, I met this chiropractor who started doing physical testing because I was finally able to get to the physical part and she's like you can't be in like rooms with light and I'm like no, I'm like if I get overwhelmed, I get overstimulated. And then then I finally had language for it. I just thought I would just get irritated and shut down emotionally because I was like a horrible person, but I was like no, it's actually because of the concussions. So my entire life I've had become emotionally overwhelmed, like within like five, ten minutes of being around people. And it was actually not to do with me having not limited emotional capacity. It was because I had con with me having not limited emotional capacity. It was because I had concussions.
28:41
And then I find out like partnered with Lyme disease, it adds onto it and then it's actually made like. This is part of the reason why I stayed single, because every time there's people around me constantly I get overstimulated. So being in a relationship wasn't something that I could do, and so with the chiro, it really helped. We got to the physical parts. And then it wasn't actually until I got to Netherlands, um, where I met a personal trainer. He was amazing and he was in kinesiology, um, and, as he would like, he started getting me movement again. And I was like, cause I missed working out, cause I couldn't work out anymore. I used to play hockey, I used to play sports. I sucked at everything I played, but I still used to play.
29:19
And now, all of a sudden, I was barely able to get out of bed. And so then, when I went to go work for the un and um in the netherlands, it was a great opportunity for me to like. I'm like, okay, let's focus on myself. I don't know anyone in the country I can like actually focus on my healing, met this personal trainer. Then someone introduced me randomly, randomly, um, to osteopath who lived, who was like 10 minutes, a 10 minute walk from my apartment, and he was a game changer. Within five minutes he was able to diagnose me with like things that no other practitioner was able to do and I was like, and he actually released like so much tension from my brain that I won't get concussions again, hopefully, fingers crossed. And then he introduced me to another trainer who was able to give me, um, a strength back in my legs which was not like possible, like because I've always had weak legs ever since I was five, and all of a sudden I started getting strength back. Um, but it's made it.
30:07
But the last couple years, because I've been on bed rest so much as as through the recovery period and and additional concussions, I've missed out on a lot of life. Like I literally took myself out of my life at Vancouver. I moved to the Netherlands to be by myself so I can heal, and I mean it was amazing because I got to work for the UN and made all these new friends and I did all these other things and I traveled a lot. But I also had to physically take myself out of a space where I had too much emotional stimulation and too much physical stimulation. Vancouver is you have to drive. I can't. I'm not really even supposed to be driving anymore, because the driving overstimulates my brain and if I drive for any more than an hour I can't, I'm out for the next day, and so it's also it means I can't really go to a lot of parties.
30:51
I used to be like, I used to party, hop every night, like every weekend, and I can't go anymore, um, because I can't function with the lights and the sound and the stove lights, and so it's me meant that a lot of people are disappointed by the fact I don't show up.
31:05
Um, so it's really impacted a lot of my relationships. It's impacted my lifestyle. It's impacted like I spend way more time alone than ever would have liked. I'm an introvert, extrovert, but I've had to become, um, I had be okay, become okay with the fact that people, and also like we live in a society where I feel like people just don't have time and they don't have time, and if you're sitting, like I've had been on bedrest multiple times other than like maybe like two or three friends who came to visit, other people don't come to visit, and I think that's one of the things that's been the hardest, because you realize that those people, like you have a lot of people that aren't really friends and, um, that's really disappointing to me, and so it's kind of like made me really question what relationships mean as well.
Tim Reitsma 31:49
Thank you, first off, for sharing that. Uh, I am so grateful that you found the support that you needed. The trainers in the netherlands little side note uh, that's a place. Me and my wife and we'd love to spend months in the netherlands. I'm from the nether, or my my dad was born in the netherlands. My wife and I went once and we still have some. I still have a lot of extended family there, so it's like one of our dreams to go. So you've lived that for. So I'd love to, maybe over coffee or you know something.
32:22
We can just want to absorb all of that, but, uh, but to be able to recognize that and say you know what I? This is an opportunity to focus on me. Somebody again recently said it's like have they said it was time that I choose me? Yeah, and choosing yourself, getting that support. But he also said something that's really important.
32:46
Um, and I think impactful is you weren't able to go to those parties and socialize like you wanted to or you used to, and you realized that maybe some of the people weren't your friends or they didn't have time, yeah, and again, if somebody is listening to this as a, maybe a caregiver or somebody who lives with something that's invisible. And your condition, um, is very different than my condition, and we need to have that mutual respect and that understanding and saying hey, I've noticed that you aren't attending these parties. Um, tell me more. What's going on, what works for you, and thanks for walking us through that. That's quite the journey 10 concussions and then you've got Lyme disease as well on top of that and all the symptoms of Lyme disease. And yet you're building and you've built a global impact company. You've worked for the un, you've done a. You know you've done a lot and yeah, yeah I have.
Manpreet Dhillon 33:52
But I think sometimes it's because I wasn't diagnosed early enough, because the lyme diagnosis came 25 years later um, that I didn't label myself and I just thought. And so once I started healing from the concussions, I found actually there's a really great naturopath here locally that helped me figure out, like that I needed neuro um, neuro feedback and stuff and I was able to recover from even now after the 10th concussion. Like my clinical psychologist, who I work with on the concussions, he's surprised on how healed my brain is because I used I used a lot of biohacking, I, you know things that have worked for me um in different modalities and it's been amazing that I've been able to heal my brain. But then I couldn't figure out why I was still tired. So I ended up having this random conversation with on a webinar, like listening to a webinar. She was talking about like being always being exhausted. I'm listening to her and she said somebody with Lyme disease. I'm like I don't think I have Lyme disease, but let let's just talk to her. They've had consult functional medicine expert from Texas.
34:46
And as soon as I talked to her she's like I'm telling her. She's like I think you should get tested for Lyme. I'm like I don't. I'm like no, and then all of a sudden I like I call my mom. I'm like did I ever get bit by anything when I was younger? She's like well, you were bit by a tick. And I'm like what? And he's like, yeah, we were on a hike, you were a bit by a tick when you were in like grade six. And he's like this is what it looked like and your mom wasn't able to take it off. And I'm like, and me and my mom had no idea, like remember nothing. So I go in. I went to my like another naturopath and I was like can you test me? Yeah, I got I strains of Lyme because it mutates within your body afterwards if it's untamed. And then I started the protocol. But it made me so sick because it actually makes you like. For me when I was the die-off symptoms. It made me choke on myself, like choke constantly, so I couldn't sleep because then I was choking while sleeping and then obviously I would have could have something else could have happened. So when I moved to theetherlands my mom didn't know, but I uh conned her into coming a week later so I can start my medicines because I knew I was going to have this choking reaction, so at least she would be there with me as I'm having it. So I'm balance it out.
35:56
Um, I still have, I still have lyme um because there's such a long process to actually heal from it and I mean it, it's it's going to take a couple like you can't. You can never heal fully from it, just by managing it, and but the beautiful thing is, like I don't. For me it's just something that it's making me just like. Okay, I'm using this as a tool on how do I learn about health? I've I've become, I'm a practitioner in Ayurveda. Um, I've learned so many other like I know about plants and herbs and how they actually heal our body, and so it's become a really amazing experience and using this as a way to like heal. Like one of the best trips that I did was me and my dad went to Nepal um to learn how to make Ayurvedic medicines, and we're me and my dad are both a part of our documentary for it and you know and so talking about the ancient foods and how that they impact our body and um and how they heal.
36:47
So it it sucks in many ways because it's hard, because some days I can't get out of bed building out this large global company. But some days I'm like I just need extra time to myself and I need to sleep until noon. Um. But on the other hand, when I'm productive I'll be super productive. And so even right now is like I was telling a close friend this morning.
37:06
I'm like I'm having a productive time because I haven't been able to work for four months because, I was telling you, I had a cough. I haven't been able to work for four months because I had an autoimmune reaction to having an iron infusion, and so I've been exhausted for the last four months. We've had lots of losses in the family and haven't been able to work for four months and as soon as I was able to start working. So now I'm like I don't know when, how long I'll be able to work, so I have to be productive during this time. So yesterday I, like I built, I put out a guide, you know, finished another chapter in my book and it was like super productive because I have the creative juices, my brain.
37:43
I don't have the brain Cause I don't know when. I know that usually, like the belts for Lyme are every three weeks and right now in a good stage, and lately they've gone like a little bit longer. So I'm like I got to use this good stage until the belt comes again. And it's. It's interesting running your life this way, because I don't make plans more than a month in advance, cause I don't make plans more than a month in advance because I don't know how I'm going to actually feel. But it's okay, though, too, because it also keeps my life spontaneous.
Tim Reitsma 38:10
I love that, the spontaneousness of just going okay, we've got about three to four week window here. What are we going to do? Where are we going to go? What are we going to get done? And was there a moment where you decided like, okay, I'm going to be productive in those weeks versus letting that disease and these concussions and conditions play the opposite effect on you?
Manpreet Dhillon 38:38
Oh, totally. So I care a lot. I am driven by the impact I want to make in the world. At 13, I decided I wanted to end sexism, racism and war At like age 13,. No idea why, but that was what I decided. So everything I'm doing right now is in that field and so for me it's not even an option to be like, yeah, some days I do feel sorry for myself or I feel like a victim and I'm pissed and I'm mad at God and mad the world. I'm mad at everything else, but then I'm like I have a, there's a reason why I was put on this earth and I have to make my life, you know, meaningful and leave my own legacy in a different way. And how do I do that? And that's where, like the impact.
39:16
And I also find that as soon when I'm healthy, like you know, it was interesting because I just moved back to Vancouver and and one of the things is like, with diversity, inclusion, work, it's heavy, it's hard and it's like it's it takes a lot and you're also having tough conversations all the time and I was like I need to just go and, like you know, volunteer in the food kitchen and I was like I need to give back because I need to realize that how gifted I still am, how grateful I am for the life that I have and the ability that I'm still able to go and do all these other things, and it just have like step away from my ego around.
39:48
Like I said here, I feel sorry for myself but I'm like, I have the resources, I have the finances, I've been able to get support. I know most people other people can't and this is why I want to, like you know we were chatting about how we need to advocate for change, for for change, for you know how invisible diseases are looked at and the support that are needed and what other access to therapeutic ways that they have. Because I was lucky and I was able to have all these resources and I've been able to work when I, you know, even though I've been told five years ago not to work, but that doesn't, that's not everyone's story. And this is where, like, I talk about it so I can end the stigma. I talk about it so we can actually create change in terms of, like, the types of benefits that are offered by companies, by the government, what we, you know, what gets clarified under the medical plans. That's why I think that work is so important and it needs to be done as well.
Tim Reitsma 40:42
Yeah, it's, it's important to acknowledge that. Yeah, yeah, it's important to acknowledge that. Yeah, there are bad days. Not every day is a good day. I've, like you, I'm sure, I've had many bad days, and it was weeks ago. I had woke up just in a bad mood, just not feeling good, and I had a bad day and I allowed myself to have that. And the next day I said you know what?
41:07
Get off the couch. What can we do? And whether that is just having a shower and hanging out with a friend, a partner, your kids, whatever that looks like, acknowledge those bad days and make an impact on those good days. And I know that, as you said, sometimes that's a privilege. Maybe we're in organizations that we are afraid to disclose, afraid to ask for an accommodation, because we know that there's going to be some discrimination. And I hear you, I feel that I see you if you're in that, and I feel grateful that there's people like yourself, ampreet, in this world who are advocating for change, who will end the stigma. And so you've had to advocate a lot for yourself over your life and for someone who is struggling with advocacy or with advocating for themselves. What would you say to someone?
Manpreet Dhillon 42:08
You just have to do it. I mean, it's hard, it's uncomfortable, as we talked about, and it's also but you matter. Like it's also remembering that you matter. You're worthy of advocating for yourself, you're worthy of getting the support you need and the resources you need and you matter Like that's. I think that's like the you need and the resources you need and you matter Like that's. I think that's like the reminder that all of us sometimes need that you are not your disease, you are not the condition you're living with it, but you are not that person. There's so much more to you and so you deserve to have to experience all of life in the spectrum of lives that exist.
42:43
And when you're advocating, make sure you have your medical like I wish I had done this years ago. But having my medical history written, because like this is some most things that we take for granted. But having your medical history written, the doctors you've talked to, the medications that you've done um, and the impact that, the facts that you've had on those things. And I struggle with this all the time. But I know my diet is one of the major things. If I change my diet, it would change how my process of everything.
43:09
Sometimes it is easier to just be like I'm gonna eat a bag of chips or I'm gonna eat, um, you know, junk food, rather than make that healthy meal. But the the food is for me is something that I struggle with and I found ways that I needed to ask for help with my family or ask for help from like other friends and be like when I need to be held accountable for this, because I think that's gonna. That's hard, the hardest thing for me, and being vulnerable with it, with insecurities that you have, but also knowing that when things are tough, that you are supported. There's we're lucky if we live in the western world. We are so lucky with the resources and the tools and the organizations that are there to support us, even if we don't have the family and friends support. And then, plus, there's communities like listening to this podcast, but also there's communities of people that are out there that can support you as well.
Tim Reitsma 44:01
What's come to mind is that saying that asking for help is a sign of weakness and we got to change that. Asking for help is actually a sign of strength. It's a sign of strength. It's a sign of hey. I know I can't do this on my own, and I've recognized that, so I need help, whether that's again with school, workplace, whatever, wherever you are.
Manpreet Dhillon 44:20
And it goes back to when someone doesn't know what to do. It's not a weakness for them to say I don't know what to do in this situation, I don't know about this. It's the same thing If we're expecting them to be strong about it and claim that they don't know. It's the same way that we have to ask for help too, that we have to kind of step into our strength and ask for it as well.
Tim Reitsma 44:40
Yeah, I love how you've just brought that back full circle, right. It's a sign of strength, it's a sign of honesty, it's a sign of vulnerability, which I argue, and I would say that vulnerability is your strength, because it's who you are and we got to stop hiding our normal. And I'm curious, as we wrap up Manpreet, what's your vision, what's your plan? And I know you're building your business and you've got a lot going on. You're writing a book and I'm just curious where do you see things going over the next I don't know four or six months?
Manpreet Dhillon 45:16
I don't know. Actually, to be honest, I've kind of just surrendered. I just, as I mentioned, I just moved back to Vancouver. I do have the book I'm writing and I've been, you know, starting to do, starting to cause I've I've learned so many things over the time, so I'm actually developing like a university of different courses, like around womb leadership, so people can tap into, like you know, tap into their own creation, the womb and looking at how to like, move past, like ancestral and eternal lineages, and how to use the power of the wisdom of your body.
45:48
Grief and leadership is something I've been talking a lot about because grief impacts, like I've had so much grief around what I can and cannot do, loss of my brother and things like that, and I've been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul around grief. So it's something that you know I've got grief and leadership. And then going back to, like, the primary, like women of color in the workplace and how do we get them to leadership from a holistic leadership perspective where they're not getting burnt out, um, that's really my focus. Like, coming back to that focus again, I still do the audits for organizations and the systems and we do assessments, um, but I want to support individuals more in feeling that they're not alone, um, cause I feel like that feeling of loneliness is getting worse in this world, and how do we foster that not to be present, um, in different ways. So that's really where I'm at right now and uh, and also like I'm working with a startup and we're talking, looking at future of work and looking at, um, how burnout impacts healthcare workers, um, and how to reduce that as well. So it's everything kind of comes back to how do we support individuals to thrive in the workplace and what does that look like? So, and in their own personal leadership.
46:56
And I, that's that's I decided at 13,. That was going to be my work and that's what I'm going to continue to do. I'm still doing stuff on public safety and, like you know, I'm not in chemical weapons anymore, but, like in other ways of us we support we. I work with a lot of organizations that are paramilitary, and so it's great to be able to talk about gender equality and race in those paramilitary organizations as well you're an inspiration to me, manpreet.
Tim Reitsma 47:21
Um, you you truly are of knowing from that young age. And you're still on that path, man, at 13,. I just wanted to get into as much trouble living on a farm as I could and not get caught. It's not thinking about the global impact that I could make, but here you are, sharing your story and I am. You've you just continue to ignite that fire in me? And for those who are inspired by your story, who want to connect, who just want to learn more about who you are, how, how can someone reach you?
Manpreet Dhillon 47:58
The best way is LinkedIn, actually just LinkedIn, mapre, dylan, and then you can go to our website, vesiglobal, because a lot of the there's a lot of stuff on there. I'm just rebuilding the website. Actually, that's where I'm like. I don't know what I'm doing because I have to rebuild the entire, rebuilding everything right now. So that's great, but, yeah, linkedin is the best place, and then happy to connect, and I love hearing people's stories.
Tim Reitsma 48:19
Yeah, that's great, and we'll put those notes. We'll put those contact in the show notes as well, and I think we'll have that all there, as well as wherever you listen to your podcast, we'll have the links in there. So, manpreet, I know you're busy. You've taken time to share your story in the Visible Condition Podcast and I really appreciate you and, for those who are listening, thanks for tuning in. You know we will end the stigma of invisible conditions by igniting voices, and your voice matters, and so if you have a story to tell, reach out to me. If you are inspired by this podcast, please send it to all your friends, your family. Please subscribe. That really helps us get noticed as well. And, if you have the means, invisible Condition is being built as a nonprofit. Everything that we take in is going directly back into this project. So if you have the means, please consider donating to keep this podcast, as well as other podcasts, up and running.
