Welcome to the first and hopefully not last* Spoonie thread, a place for all your rants, ravings, and tales of medical woe. I think this first thread will be open to everyone, but I’d like to know if there’s interest for a closed thread in the style of the Women+ and LGBT threads.

What’s a spoonie? It’s a person living with a chronic illness or disability. Spoon Theory is an explanation of how chronic health problems affect one’s ability to do everyday tasks. Spoonie life is a life in which opportunity costs are high, and it can’t always be Two Things. Dysautonomia International put together this helpful infographic:

Spoonie News: Seattle has become the first major US city to ban disposable plastic straws. This has a lot of disability advocates upset. Many disabled people rely on straws to safely consume food and drink, and the reusable/compostable options are problematic. Metal and glass straws are an injury risk, paper straws are a choking hazard, compostable straws contain common allergans–usually gluten or corn. Reusable straws are also difficult to clean and even harder to sterilize, which is not great for a crowd where compromised immune systems are common.

The Seattle law includes an exception for disabled people, but given our history with disability rights it’s reasonable to expect a lot of gatekeeping and people being denied what they need because they don’t look disabled enough. 

Today’s optional topic: “Able-bodied people probably don’t realize that _________.” What’s something you struggle with that would surprise someone who doesn’t have your condition? Mine is heat. I have chronic migraines. Nothing about that condition screams “heat intolerance” but I manage my migraines with a medication that causes anhidrosis. I don’t sweat properly. This means that in very hot weather, I skip past “I’m uncomfortable but coping” and go directly to “I need of first aid”. 

*future threads pending spoon availability