Spoonie Strength

Love, Life and Lifting through Chronic Illness

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Another Day, Another Diagnosis

So Long, 2018!

The Heartbreak of Having it All

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Another Day, Another Diagnosis

Another Day, Another Diagnosis

Hey all! Yes, It’s been quite some time, but it just seems like every time I make a grand post about starting to feel better and wanting to post more, my body laughs in my face so freaking hard and says…ummmm….no way! The past two weeks have been medical visit after medical visit – half-day tests and being poked and prodded and starved. And…like most people who have autoimmune or chronic illnesses know, our diseases always come in packs – you can never have just one. I acquir

So Long, 2018!

So Long, 2018!

To say it's been a wild year would be an understatement! My New Years Eve last year was spent recovering from jaw surgery, and that basically set the tone for the year - more hospital stays in 2018 than 2015-2017. I battled DRESS Syndrome which was caused by one of my Trigeminal Neuralgia meds. I had liver failure. Dislocated Ribs and Knees. Surgery to remove a ruptured Fallopian Tube. Through all the adversity, there was so much to be thankful for, too! I really spent my "we

The Heartbreak of Having it All

The Heartbreak of Having it All

Love. Marriage. Kids. Career. The American Dream, right? But at what cost? From the outside, I have it all. But I tend to keep my fence built high, so it's rare people see inside. Having it all - it's great. Having it all is also constant give and take, compromise, and work. Couple all of that with a body that tries to kill you every day, and having it all doesn't seem so great anymore. I can't complain about my life - but sometimes it's hard to see everything I have when I

Trying to Keep Up

Trying to Keep Up

I totally understand why those with Autoimmune Diseases and Chronic Illnesses have multiple writers on their websites/blogs/etc. It’s hard to maintain when you have to shut down all unnecessary parts of your life to swing into survival mode! This Wisconsin Spring/Summer has been pretty brutal on my body. Between suffering through being a human barometer and a massive project coming to a head at work, keeping my toddler alive and keeping myself alive have taken precedence ove

The Spoonie Balancing Act

The Spoonie Balancing Act

When you’re chronically ill, staying alive is – quite literally – a full-time job. There’s no pay, no benefits, no vacation time, but nonetheless it is a thankless full-time job. When you’re a parent, keeping a child alive and thriving is – quite literally – a full-time job. There’s no pay, no benefits, no vacation time, but nonetheless it is a thankless full-time job. With all the time and energy we are forced to dedicate to one or both things, how on earth is anything outsi

Getting Back in the Game

Getting Back in the Game

Long time, no see! It’s been a hell of a few months, but what is autoimmune life without a little unexpected misery, right?! For real though, the past few months I was at my worst that I’ve been in almost a decade. I had to have jaw surgery a few days after Christmas. I needed bone grafting done as my jaw was very weak from bone loss most likely attributed to all the steroids I’ve had to take in the past ten or so years. I figured I’d get it done right after Christmas, that

Love, Marriage...and Spoons

Love, Marriage...and Spoons

Love. Relationships. Marriage. Like, seriously, how many spoons do people think we have to deal with all THAT? For real though, these things aren’t easy for anybody. They take work. Commitment. Time. Respect. And that’s just the “in health” part. Throw in some “in sickness” and you’ve entered another realm. Throw in some chronic “in sickness” and you (and your partner) might feel like you need an entirely new map to navigate through. My relationship is no different. The truth

The Ultimate Spoonie Shopping Guide

The Ultimate Spoonie Shopping Guide

Whether you’re coming to this list as a spoonie, a spoonie supporter, a lifter, fitness enthusiast or someone looking for some ideas for any of the above, I hope you find some awesome stuff! This is all some of my favorite stuff and all things that I use, love and have gifted to others because I love these things so much! So happy shopping!! I’m also a big user of Amazon Prime – from subscription services to family gifting lists to entertainment so I’m always a big proponen

Even Celebrity Spoonies Remain Invisible

Even Celebrity Spoonies Remain Invisible

Selena Gomez. Lady Gaga. Venus Williams. Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins. Missy Elliott. Shannen Doherty. I’m not selecting my dream all-star lineup, as it may seem. Rather, just naming a few of the celebrity names you may hear every so often in the news when talks of chronic illness arise. Now you may look at any one of these people and the standard “but they don’t look sick” is probably the first or second thought in your head – unless you yourself suffer from one of the many invis

What's the Big Deal with Omegas?

What's the Big Deal with Omegas?

Let’s talk Omegas! As we all know, whether we want to admit it or not, our diets play a very large role in how our bodies are able to fight our autoimmune and chronic illnesses. You will never hear me talk about “good” food or “bad” food, because I do not believe in associating shame with food. I also really love donuts and tacos and don’t ever want to be made to feel any sort of guilt about the foods I eat and I don’t ever want anyone else to either. If you ever hear me refe

What is the Point?

What is the Point?

What is the point? What is the point of using up so many spoons on “good” days when the bad days are so bad that they put you back at the starting line? What is the point of waking up at the crack of dawn to push yourself through something when your painsomnia kept you up all night? What is the point of going to the park with your kid when all you can do is sit and watch – you can’t even push her on the swing? What is the point? What is the point of trying to work – trying t

Powerlifting in 30 Minutes or Less? Seriously? Seriously.

Powerlifting in 30 Minutes or Less? Seriously? Seriously.

Short on time? Don’t think you can fit in a lifting session in 30 minutes or less? Although you may not be able to get as many lifts in or as heavy lifts in, I still think that, for me anyway, some lifting is better than none at all. There are many weeks where my morning workouts just don’t happen. I get very poor sleep due to the painsomnia and med reactions associated with my illnesses. It’s not uncommon for me to get 2-3 hours of actual sleep a night and suffer through

Self-Care for Spoonies

Self-Care for Spoonies

Let’s talk Self-Care! When you have a chronic condition, sometimes it’s hard to really live beyond survival mode. Anything that might take an extra spoon or two when you are rationing them just to survive can sometimes seem not worth it. I lived this way for a long time until realizing that sometimes investing those spoons into self-care could actually help me have more spoons later on. But how to do this, when some days it seems impossible? Here’s some of my favorite, sp

My Story: Featured on Strong in Body, Strong in Mind!

My Story: Featured on Strong in Body, Strong in Mind!

I was fortunate enough to be asked to share my story of how fitness has effected my life for Strong in Body, Strong in Mind for a story series they are doing. I would love if you all took a minute to check it out over there. I've never really shared as in-depth as I did for this, and I think that this page does some really great work so it was an honor to share with them. Check it out, check the page out, and take a look at all they have to offer! #weightlifting #spoonie #e

The Fear of Health

The Fear of Health

I have been sick for so long now, that I have gotten used to it – the doctors appointments, the blood draws. My aim when it comes to peeing in a cup for labs is pretty impressive. I can swallow 15 pills in one gulp. I can spot a “good” pillow from across the store. Sick has become my “normal”. So much so, that when the “good” days come along, sometimes I’m actually intimidated by them. I’ve spent many good days lying in bed hiding from the world under the covers, becaus

Lifting....Toddlers?

Lifting....Toddlers?

One of my biggest reasons for trying to get my body to a fitter and healthier place was my child. My body had gone from a size 2 dancer to a size 14 prednisone patient and I had pretty much accepted that. But after my child was in the picture, I was terrified of not being the "mom" I thought she needed. What would happen when she could out-run me? How would I put her in her crib when she's too heavy for me to lift? These were my reasons, and they really still are. I admit

Running Out of Spoons

Running Out of Spoons

Ever have a day packed with deadlines at work, errands that you’ve put off to the point that you no longer can, meals that need to be made and laundry that has to be done, and you were out of spoons before you even got dressed? Yeah, it’s one of those days. Parenting is hard, y’all. Parenting with a chronic illness (or many) can make it seem impossible some days. So where do you find the spoons? How do you keep going when you’re all out? My little one decided last night w

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