Category Archives: Being a Spoonie

Tips for Spoonies with Colds

Being a Spoonie, ,
tips for spoonies with colds
Dealing with day to day chronic pain is frustrating enough; having a cold on top of it is just brutal. But it doesn’t have to totally suck!

Netflix is your friend. Take the day off and binge watch House or a travel documentary or something. You deserve a break.

Elevate your head. You’ll breathe easier. Literally.

Drink something fizzy and low in caffeine. I like Sprite Zero, because it’s sugar free and delicious, and excellent for settling your stomach and keeping you hydrated.

If you have a headache, take Mersyndol. I carry a few tablets with me everywhere because it works so well. It’s stronger than regular Tylenol, but doesn’t require a prescription. A single tablet is usually enough.

Don’t push yourself to do anything. You need your rest.

This is seemingly obvious, but keep Kleenex near your bed. When you’re already lacking energy, the last thing you want to do is stumble to the bathroom in search of something to blow your nose with!

Buy a Vicks VapoInhaler. I don’t know what I would have done without this thing when I had a cold earlier this month. The scent is soothing and is a nasal decongestant.

Being Jewish, I feel like it’s my duty to preach about the healing powers of matzoh ball soup. Seriously, it’s magical.

How do you take care of yourself when you catch cold?

Image is a get well card you can buy here.

What They Don’t Understand [As Told By Superstars in Gifs]

Being a Digital Nomad, Being a Spoonie

It takes hard work, just to stay afloat.

Running a business is hard. Having a disability is hard. Travelling while working or having a serious illness is hard. Doing all of the above at once? Nearly unheard of.

And yet, some of us do it.

It’s not always Instagram-worthy. But we trudge through the bad pain days, the emotionally and physically exhausting days knowing that the freedom of being a digital nomad and the satisfaction of fighting our illnesses is so worth it.

In the end, maybe the people who don’t understand (or don’t care to understand), the naysayers, the ableists and the haters don’t matter. Seeing the world and doing what you love? That’s what counts.

The Spoon In the Road

Being a Digital Nomad, Being a Spoonie

Fork in the road may refer to:
Fork (intersection), the point at which a road branches into two;
Fork in the road (metaphor), a metaphor, based on a literal expression, for a deciding moment in life or history when a major choice of options is required

Dragging my too-heavy luggage as I tried desperately to ignore the throbbing pain throughout my body, I came to a fork in the road. Two options, both terrifying, loomed before me. I popped a couple Tylenol, hoping they’d take the edge off, and considered my choices:

1, I could give in to my illnesses, lay on a couch and mope all my life. I could forget all my aspirations and plans, because that was easier than facing my new identity as a spoonie. Or…

2, I could persevere. Somehow, someway, I could push through the relentless pain and fatigue, make goals (and reach them), and live the life of my dreams.

If you’re here, you’re probably a spoonie, and you’re probably sick of being told (by yourself, others or your illness) that you can’t travel, can’t run a business, can’t do what makes you happy, because you’re sick. Most of all, you’re probably of sick of your illness dictating what you can and cannot do.

Since beginning my journey as a spoonie who lives a happy, fulfilled and as-healthy-as-possible life, I’ve learned something life-changing: You can’t change your illness, but you can change how you live with it. You can work around it!

You might be stuck with antidepressants, a cane, a CPAP machine, or whatever, all your life, but your medical condition and the arrangements or aides it requires has no bearing on whether you can live the life you imagine. I’m living proof.

Welcome to The Spoon In the Road.