What is a spoonie?

A spoonie is a term used in the chronic illness community and means someone living with a chronic illness. Here I'll explain a little bit about the history of the word and how we work out our daily quantity of spoons. 

The word started being used after Christine Miserandino wrote The Spoon Theory. In her story she uses spoons as an analogy for energy - the amount of energy she has available in one day - and people related so well to her theory that they started calling themselves "spoonies".

Most people start the day with unlimited amount of possibilities, and energy to do whatever they desire, especially young people. For the most part, they do not need to worry about the effects of their actions. So for my explanation, I used spoons to convey this point. I wanted something for her to actually hold, for me to then take away, since most people who get sick feel a “loss” of a life they once knew. 

So a spoon is a measure of energy.  

HOW MANY SPOONS DO YOU HAVE?
When you are a "spoonie" you feel that everything you do costs you a spoon. Usually it's a physical activity like cleaning the house or other examples in the image below and also it can be an emotional activity like dealing with a stressful situation at work or at home. YES, even having a shower can use our energy! This is something often mentioned in the chronic illness community as in " You do not know what it is to have fatigue until you need to rest after having a shower."

You’ll find this nickname, spoonie, along with others, used by many people on social media such as Twitter and Facebook. It is not just used for people with Fibro but for anyone with a chronic illness. Christine Miserandino herself has Lupus, an autoimmune condition, causing amongst other things pain and fatigue. It is these symptoms that many people with different chronic illnesses have in common. The word spoonie provides a connection and an understanding that anyone with chronic illness has about their capabilities and their energy levels.

Other names, besides spoonies, that are used to describe people who have fibromyalgia are fibro warriors, fibro fighters, fibromites, fibro thrivers, and fibro survivors. We use these names to give us a sense of community with others who understand what we are going through. They are positive descriptive words that connect us with our fibro tribe. 

I have used the spoon theory to explain my life to many people. In fact, my family and friends refer to spoons all the time. It has been a code word for what I can and cannot do.   Christine Miserandino

Here is where you can work out how many spoons you have used today! do you agree with the quantities in this image? 3 spoons for driving somewhere and 4 spoons for going to work?

I must admit while I have known about the spoon theory for years I have never sat down and calculated my daily spoons. It is just a comfort to know that other people understand. Are you like me in this?

Also, I think the word was very popular for a while and now it is not used as much. It is still accepted and understood as being a camaraderie amongst those in the wider chronic illness community but people with fibromyalgia seem to use fibro fighters or fibro warriors more often. Do you agree?