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Have you ever tried to bring up something to your family and they tell you that ‘we don’t talk about that’ and then change the subject? Maybe it had something to do with someone’s health, physically or mentally. Latinos treat health issues like the Madrigals treat Bruno from Encanto. We don’t talk about them. But it’s 2022, why can’t we talk about them?

Not talking about your issues doesn’t make them disappear, if anything it’ll make them worse. It can lead to your mental health deteriorating or a chronic illness worsening. We need to have those uncomfortable conversations if we want to improve things, and I’m here to help start them.

My name is Gloria and I have severe Crohn’s Disease, which is an autoimmune illness that primarily attacks the GI system. This blog is about my experiences and how I’ve learned to live with my condition, ways to make life with an illness a little easier, and how my family and those close to me are affected by it too. My content is in both English and Spanish because I know what it’s like to have people that speak different levels of each language and it can leave a communication gap.

Getting a chronic illness is hard, and learning how to manage it takes time and a lot of trial and error. I hope I’m able to provide some insight to make it a little easier and show you that you’re not alone and that it can get better.

What is a Spoonie?

“Spoonie” is a term used in the chronic illness community that applies to anyone who has limited daily energy because of their health. Every activity uses a certain amount of energy, and we use spoons as an example of quantity. A healthy person has a large number of spoons every day and they don’t have to think about how they use them. However, a spoonie has a small daily amount and needs to plan how to use the few they have. 

When those limited spoons are low or spent then the person is unable to do much else. They can sometimes borrow some from the next day, but then that means they need an even longer recovery time than normal. 

The hardest part is that most people don’t know in advance how many spoons they’ll have for the day. Not only that, but it takes time to learn how many spoons each activity will take. It also varies from person to person so the only way to learn is through a lot of trials.

Anyone can be a spoonie. They can be young, old, male, female, or anything in between. The majority of illnesses are invisible, so you can never tell just by looking at someone

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