Grieving the life you thought you’d have is a real and specific kind of loss, not a sign you’re failing to cope with chronic illness. It means mourning a future self, a set of plans, and an identity you were building before diagnosis changed the terms....
Feeling like a different person after chronic illness is normal, common, and not proof that anything has gone wrong with you. Capacity shifts. Routines shift. The way people relate to you shifts. When that much moves at once, of course identity feels shaken loose...
A simple back-to-school meal rhythm for chronic illness relies on a short, repeatable rotation of easy meals, hands-off tools like a slow cooker or air fryer, and flexibility for household members to eat differently when energy or symptoms don’t line up. The...
A flexible chronic illness routine works by anchoring the day to two or three non-negotiable priorities, like medication timing, eating, and essential care tasks, rather than a fixed schedule or order. This lets the routine hold together even during a flare, because...
Every August, the same message shows up everywhere. New school year, new rhythm, get your mornings together. Five-step routines, wake-up times, and a clean version of the day that starts before anyone else is out of bed. It’s aimed at people who get to choose...
I first wrote this back in July 2024. I’ve since revisited it with a few years of hindsight — and one very specific realization about why appointments still trip me up. Living with chronic illness means navigating a world that wasn’t built with you in...
Somewhere, I have a running tally I never asked to keep. The number of times I have repeated my own medical history this year. The number of portal messages I’ve sent that never got a real answer. The number of prior authorizations, pharmacy call-backs, and...
You walk in already running on the last quarter of your battery. Then you spend the appointment doing the actual medical part — describing symptoms, answering questions, remembering your history — while also doing a second, invisible job: staying calm enough to be...
You described your symptoms as clearly as you could. You tried to stay calm so they wouldn’t dismiss you as anxious. You brought a list. You answered every question. And somewhere in that appointment, something shifted — and you left feeling like the problem was...
This post was originally published in September 2024 and has been updated with new content and a fresh perspective. Managing a chronic illness is not something you figure out once and then know how to do. The conditions change. Your body changes. The strategies that...
a queer chronic illness blogger and digital resource creator. I make low-pressure tools and compassionate content for chronically ill and disabled folks navigating life with pain and limited energy.
When I’m not creating for The Thriving Spoonie, I’m a spouse to the best partner a spoonie could ask for, and a pet parent to an adorable & anxious rescue pup. You’ll usually find me crocheting, curled up with a library book, or playing cozy PC games—with coffee in hand, always.
