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...
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...
If you’ve ever thought, I’m just bad at boundaries, you’re not alone. It sounds self-aware. Responsible, even. But underneath that sentence is usually something heavier. A quiet belief that if you were stronger, clearer, more confident, or less emotional, you wouldn’t...
There comes a point in many chronically ill people’s lives when the pace of the world stops feeling fast and starts feeling flat-out incompatible. It rarely arrives in one dramatic moment. More often, it shows up quietly. Maybe it happens when you need another rest...
It took me a long time to realize that exhaustion isn’t always physical. Sometimes it comes from being too available, too agreeable, too afraid to take up space. For years, I mistook compliance for kindness. I believed that being easygoing and agreeable made life...
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.
