As I told you last week, since the end of spring break, my energy has been very low. One of the symptoms of end-stage renal failure is great fatigue, which does not make a great team with my constant nauseas. 😛
What does this have to do with spoons? you may ask.
Caroline, who was my neighbor in high school, wants to help me reach more people with my story. As part of our planning discussions, I was managing expectations as my energy is unpredictable.
She told me she understood, since she was aware of the spoon theory.
The spoon theory is an illustration of the energy management patients with chronic diseases need to do every day.
The story of spoons comes from the American author Christine Miserandino, who has lupus (yes yes, the disease that is always talked about in Dr. House :P). Basically, a healthy person has an unlimited number of spoons. This person can do whatever they want in their day, without much effect on their energy levels.
On the other hand, a person with a chronic disease has a limited number of spoons to use in his day. When you brush your teeth, you lose a spoon. When making coffee, another spoon. The day will go fine, as long as we do not spend all our spoons.
The problem is that the number of spoons available to us changes every day. If yesterday I had 6, maybe today I will have 12. Who knows? I have very little control over that.
Et si j’essaie d’en prendre plus que celle que j’ai une journée, je devrai les prendre dans celles du lendemain, si j’y arrive. Si je dépasse mon nombre de cuillères, ce demain-là sera sûrement une journée où je devrai rester couchée une partie de la journée.
The difference between health and illness is measured in spoons
The difference between health and illness can be seen in the choices that a sick person must make to have enough spoons in his day.
It shows in what I decide not to do, so that I can have enough spoons to make dinner when it’s my turn. It shows when I have to plan rest time if I see someone for 2 hours. It shows when I have to go to bed during the day because I don’t have any more spoons.
La semaine dernière, la profondeur de mes cernes m’a rendue consciente de mon déficit de cuillères. J’ai dû me reposer pour en avoir plus les autres jours. Je suis anémique puisque mes reins ne produisent plus assez de globules rouges, et je n’avais plus de fer à la maison. Je me suis dit que de sauter une semaine de fer serait moins pénalisant que de prendre une cuillère pour aller en chercher. Pas certaine du résultat, disons !
I’m getting better at my daily spoon management, but I’m not quite there yet ;P
To learn more about spoon theory, click here.
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