I'm a Spoonie

Yesterday, Debra said in comments, "I didn't understand the "spoonies" meme. Guess I don't know what "spoonies" is slang for."

Let me explain. When I first started having trouble with body pain, fatigue, and everything I go through every day and night struggling with Lupus and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease which is a chronic illness. I became a spoonie. A spoonie is one who suffers from a chronic or disabling illness and pain that depletes the spoonies' energy levels.

Spoon Theory first came about when Christine Miserandino wrote an essay in 2003 titled The Spoon Theory . The essay is a conversation between Miserandino and her best friend during dinner. It tells about her day dealing with Lupus and how she used spoons as an idea or metaphor of what it's like for her from the time she wakes up in the morning, goes through her day until she has no spoons left to function.

In order to give her friend a more accurate scenario, she gave her friend twelve spoons and began taking spoons back for each function, (ie. getting out of bed can cost you spoons, getting dressed can cost you, taking a shower to wash your hair, brushing your hair, making breakfast, walking up or downstairs, etc. For each function, it will cost you a certain amount of spoons. Some days you have extra spoons and some days by the time you are dressed and brushed your hair your spoons are gone. That is Spoon Theory. Reading the essay gives you a whole different outlook on your health and how it can change your lifestyle when things go bad. I urge you to please read the essay here.