Welcome to “My Spoonie Sisters”!
I’m Jen, and my story began in my early 30s with chronic pain in my left knee. One morning, I went to take the stairs up three flights to my locker at work when I had a sharp burning pain shooting down my entire left knee, causing me to limp. Something did not feel right, but I was not sure why at the time. I chucked it up to overdoing it at the gym. Gradually it worsened over time, and more joints began to follow the trend. My hands were swollen, and my fingers were stiff, warm, and inflamed.
In December 2012, the Rheumatologist diagnosed me with Rheumatoid Arthritis. In 2016 I began having what we discovered to be allergic reactions to my biologic infusions, and in 2017 an additional diagnosis of Palmerplantar Pustulosusis Psoriasis was added to my chart.
So here we are; I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Palmoplantar Pustulosis Psoriasis, a rare type of psoriasis. Honestly, I felt overwhelmed and alone after diagnosis(s), which made me passionate about answering, listening, and holding (virtually) hands with others through some of the darkest and scariest times. You can follow me on Instagram @gracefully_jen.
“I partner with and highlight women suffering from autoimmune diseases, rare diseases & disorders of all kinds, mental health, and anxiety.”
I strive to be the support for newly diagnosed or struggling warriors the way I desperately needed and did not have in the beginning of my journey. For those with a chronic illness, our energy levels fade faster so we must be more purposeful with the time allotted for each task, we are “Spoonies.”
Whether experienced or new, and the term spoonie applies to you, grab your coffee or tea, sister, and tune in as my fellow Spoonie Sisters worldwide and I share our stories and life hacks in living with chronic illness. Don’t forget your spoon!
All guests on or mentioned in this podcast will also be listed for your benefit. Be sure to leave a review and subscribe to My Spoonie Sisters as well as follow @MySpoonieSisters on Instagram for new episodes and more. If you would like to be featured on My Spoonie Sisters, please email me at MySpoonieSisters@gmail.com. We look forward to speaking and hearing from all our Sisters!
Important links here —–> https://linktr.ee/MySpoonieSisters
Disclaimer… I am not a doctor or a Health Care Practitioner. This is my and my guests’ personal story and things we have done for ourselves. Everybody is different when it comes to medications and remedies. If you have any questions regarding your health, please speak to and ask your Primary Doctor or Rheumatologist.
Spoon Theory…
Alright, alright…you hear us mention the term “Spoonie” often, but maybe you have no idea what the #spoontheory is.
Spoon theory is a metaphor that is used to describe the amount of mental or physical energy a person has available for daily activities and tasks. It was developed by Christine Miserandino in 2003 as a way to express how it felt to have lupus. She used spoons to provide a visual representation of units of energy that a person might have and how chronic illness forces her to plan out her days and actions in advance, so as not to run out of energy, or spoons, before the end of the day. It has since been applied to other phenomena, such as other disabilities, mental health issues, marginalization, and other factors that might place an extra – often unseen – burden on some individuals. (wikipedia)
Have you heard of the “Fork Theory” as well? It is a way of explaining how we can only handle so much in a day. Those snide comments that hurt, getting chewed out, flipped off, etc. We all have our limits and for those dealing with mental health, these digs can really deplete us faster too.
Now you have spoons and forks to worry about depleting! 
Phew!
How do you manage your utensils?!
Podcast episodes will be published every other Friday so be sure to subscribe and not miss out on the next drop!
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