The time between the first symptoms of an illness, and the day you receive a diagnosis are strange. A lot of worries, appointments, trials and errors. People often tell their "diagnosis story", I wrote about mine, but I feel like the little details and the emotions you go through when you are searching for a [...]
Category: lupus
Lupus and Facing the World of Work
I wrote about my experience undertaking a postgraduate degree not long after I was diagnosed with lupus. With the degree in the bag, I have just completed an internship - my first experience of full time work since my diagnosis forced me to quit my teaching job. Of course, 5 months as an intern does [...]
Being Healthy in your 20s vs Being a Spoonie in your 20s
To be young, wild and free... Often a person is diagnosed with chronic illness when they are young, such as teens or twenties, aka in the "prime" of their life. This not only means you tend to be the youngest person in the doctor's waiting room by a generation or two, but it also means [...]
Moving Countries with a Chronic Illness
I'm a British girl, who has been living in Europe on and off the past three years (we Brits have a weird thing where we don't always view ourselves as European, but that's a whole can of Brexity worms). I was living in Spain when I was diagnosed with lupus, and had to quit my [...]
Embarrassing Spoonie Moments
Ain't it fun being a spoonie? After juggling all the daily meds, doctor appointments, "normal" symptoms and worrying symptoms - sometimes it gives you an extra kick and you're left feeling red faced. Eventually you learn to shrug these things off, even laugh at the slightly ridiculous things that can only come with being a [...]
Here’s to the Chronic and Single
This was just sitting in my drafts, but why not publish it on the day people love to hate - Valentine's Day? My current date is a stomach bug (thanks travelling) - and I'm about to spend a long weekend with strangers in a hostel, wish my belly luck! I was reading a lovely article [...]
How to Help Charities as a Spoonie
If there is one thing having a chronic illness gives people, it is compassion. A desire to be more considerate of others, and to help when you can. Sadly, as any spoonie knows, putting in more effort than what is required of you in work/school can be too much. But if you still want to [...]
Lupus Travel Tips
I love travelling. I was lucky growing up to go on amazing holidays with my family, and I started travelling with friends in undergrad to discover new places, new cultures, and new food. When I was diagnosed with lupus I had to forget travel plans for a while, and one of my biggest concerns (except [...]
Quotes for when you’re feeling a bit shit
Literature is life. Or at least, a huge part of life. It's a way to escape, a way to be aware, a way to learn about yourself, and a way to learn about others. It can inspire you, calm you, upset you and even frustrate you. It is also origin of some of the best, [...]
You Know You’re a Spoonie When…
Disclaimer: I know some people don't like the term spoonie, because they find it belittling or that the spoon theory doesn't fit their experiences. I also find it is not the best metaphor for my fatigue, because to me it sounds like you can plan and manage your energy resources whereas sometimes you can't. But anyways, [...]
Inside a Mind 