Chronic Illness/Pain tip: Know the Spoon Theory

Joining Twitter has been a boon for the stress of my illness. It is a Perfect analogy for how people with chronic illness and/or pain must manage their lives. I kept seeing people with Chronic Illness use the tag #spoonie and so set out to find out what that was. I was changed by the answer after I read said theory.

Christine Miserandino is definitely a Hero in the pantheon of chronic illness. Thank you very much for this amazingly accurate analogy!!

I encourage you to read the full article (click on pic below) but for those of you who want a quick answer due to fibrofog or rush:


SPOON THEORY:
Every day chronically ill people start off with a set amount of energy and tolerance. With each activity that amount of energy/tolerance is less and less, until the sufferrer must stop* - otherwise the following days or even weeks will have a debt of fatigue, pain and other consequences*.

Stop = Bedridden or must sleep or just do nothing.
Consequences = major side effects common to the illness, for example fibro sufferrers may get thick fibrofog or dizziness or digestive inflammation which leads to constipation or diarrhea.. Etc.



The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino at Butyoudontlooksick.com - Click on the pic below to read it :) It will show how Lupus Warrior Christine used spoons to explain to a close friend her experience compared to 'normal' folk.


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