An Explanation of Chronic Illness and Limited Energy
I came across this article today, Spoon Theory. It is an amazing explanation of how someone, like me, juggles their energy every day. I don’t write this looking for sympathy, but to help you, and myself, understand what it is like to have limited energy. My lack of energy that accompanies my autoimmune disorders has been the toughest thing with which I have had to cope. I have many things I enjoy doing, many things I want to do, and until about 10 years ago I didn’t lack energy.
Initially I wondered if it was ‘the aging process’. That didn’t make a lot of sense to me as the extreme fatigue seemed to have come about much too rapidly. It took a few years for me to get a diagnosis and I’m not sure that I have completely adjusted to the change in my energy level. I still tend to take on too much at times and get carried away doing the things I love. Of course, I pay for it in the following days.
I am slowly learning to pay attention to how I spend my energy. How much can I spend in any one day? When I have a bit more energy, I can add one more activity to my day. On not so good days, well – I have to leave something out. There are times when the fatigue hits so suddenly that I am caught off guard. When that happens, I am forced to stop immediately. I still haven’t gotten used to this happening.
I have included the link to the article and hope you will give it a quick read. It goes a long way to understanding what many people experience every day.