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by Katherine W.March 22, 2018

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Check out our Spoonie Student blog series if you are a student with a chronic illness.

Katherine set up The Reluctant Spoonie in 2017 as a resource for those newly diagnosed with a chronic condition. After developing POTS in 2015, Katherine struggled to find blog posts that accurately depicted what she was going through, so she decided to write her own. Starting out with an Instagram and being accepted as writer for The Mighty, Katherine found that she had a lot to say on the topic of living with a chronic illness which is when The Reluctant Spoonie was born. Katherine is passionate about raising awareness of chronic illness and improving the lives of those who live with chronic illnesses. Read her full POTS story here.

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MY FAVOURITE COSY PRODUCTS FOR SURVIVING WINTER WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS⁠ I always find that winter is the most difficult time of year for me. Short, cold days and long nights mean that I spend a lot of time indoors. Check out my blog post on my favourite cosy winter items, including this cute owl heat pad. ⁠ ⁠ What are your favourite items to help you get through the winter months with chronic illness?⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ --------------------⁠ Help me raise awareness of POTS and other chronic illnesses by visiting my Etsy shop or donating to my Ko-Fi today.⁠ --------------------⁠ #spoonie #spoonielife #xmas #chronicillnesswarrior #sicklife #chronicsick #youngandchronic #invisibleillness #pots #potssyndrome #chronicillnessblog #zebrastrong #spooniesunite #spooniechat #christmas2019 ⁠ #sickbutinvisible #spoonieproblems #endowarrior #dysautonomiaawareness #winter⁣⁠ #invisibleillness #autoimmunedisease #fibromyalgia #ehlersdanlossyndrome #butyoudontlooksick #chronicfatigue #gastroparesis #lyme #disability #christmascountdown⁠

HOW TO SURVIVE NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTIES AS A SPOONIE⁠ Parties can be exhausting when you're a Spoonie, especially if you don't know the host very well or you rarely leave the house. Unfortunately, This time of year comes with the pressures of socialising, even if you're not quite up to it. Even if you are excited about a party, 'flare fear' can often spoil the situation, especially if you're juggling numerous invites. ⁠ ⁠ Check out my latest blog post for 4 tips on how to navigate NYE/ festive parties which includes how to answer the daunting 'so, what do you do?' question.⁠ ⁠ Link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ --------------------⁠ Help me raise awareness of POTS and other chronic illnesses by visiting my Etsy shop or donating to my Ko-Fi today.⁠ --------------------⁠ #spooniexmas2019 #spoonielife #xmas #chronicillnesswarrior #sicklife #chronicsick #youngandchronic #invisibleillness #pots #potssyndrome #chronicillnessblog #zebrastrong #spooniesunite #spooniechat #christmas2019 ⁠ #sickbutinvisible #spoonieproblems #endowarrior #dysautonomiaawareness #migraine⁣⁠ #invisibleillness #autoimmunedisease #fibromyalgia #ehlersdanlossyndrome #butyoudontlooksick #chronicfatigue #gastroparesis #lyme #disability #christmascountdown⁠

Happy December⁠ ❄️ ⁠ I hope you all had a good November.⁠ I took some time off from posting to focus on two things. The first was taking part in NaNoWriMo for the first time. This is something that I've wanted to do for a few years, but didn't have the time/energy before now. I managed to write 20,000 words of a novel which is basically a spiced-up version of my life with POTS. Let me know if you would like me to post a chapter on the blog sometime. ⁠ ⁠ The second project that I have been working on is an ebook about living well with POTS to compliment my blog posts and articles about POTS. This book will include things like fashion tips, dating advice and personal stories from people who live with POTS. I still have space for a few more contributions, so DM or email me if you are interested 💕 ⁠ ⁠ I have also re-designed my blog, so please check it out if you haven't visited in a while. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ --------------------⁠ Help me raise awareness of POTS and other chronic illnesses by visiting my Etsy shop or donating to my Ko-Fi today.⁠ --------------------⁠ #spooniexmas2019 #spoonielife #xmas #chronicillnesswarrior #sicklife #chronicsick #youngandchronic #invisibleillness #pots #potssyndrome #chronicillnessblog #zebrastrong #spooniesunite #spooniechat #christmas2019 ⁠ #sickbutinvisible #spoonieproblems #endowarrior #dysautonomiaawareness #migraine⁣⁠ #invisibleillness #autoimmunedisease #fibromyalgia #ehlersdanlossyndrome #butyoudontlooksick #chronicfatigue #gastroparesis #lyme #bujo #christmascountdown⁠

Happy November⁠ ❤️ ⁠ I'm taking a break from posting this month to give myself some time to work on other projects. ⁠ ⁠ I will still check my DM's periodically for questions/collabs 💕⁠ ⁠ I will be back in December with some festive content. Hope you all enjoyed my Dysautonomia Awareness posts. Thanks to all who contributed 💙⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ --------------------⁠ Help me raise awareness of POTS and other chronic illnesses by visiting my Etsy shop or donating to my Ko-Fi today.⁠ --------------------⁠ #spoonie #spoonielife #november2019 #chronicillnesswarrior #sicklife #chronicsick #youngandchronic #invisibleillness #pots #potssyndrome #chronicillnessblog #zebrastrong #spooniesunite #spooniechat #poppies ⁠ #sickbutinvisible #spoonieproblems #endowarrior #dysautonomiaawareness #migraine⁣⁠ #invisibleillness #autoimmunedisease #fibromyalgia #ehlersdanlossyndrome #butyoudontlooksick #chronicfatigue #gastroparesis #lyme #disability #christmascountdown⁠

I'm currently writing an ebook on how to live well with POTS and I'm looking for short testimonials on the following topics:⁠ ⁠ 1. Mobility Aids⁠ 2. Socialising and Dating⁠ ⁠ I am also looking for longer contributions (1,000 words) from people who would like to share their whole POTS story (from initial onset to present day).⁠ ⁠ Those who provide a contribution will receive a free copy of the book and a thank you gift. ⁠ ⁠ If you are interested in helping me with this project then please get in touch.⁠ ⁠ thereluctantspoonie@gmail.com ⁠ ⁠ ⁠For more info on this project, please check the contributor page on my blog. Link in bio 💕 ⁠ ⁠ --------------------⁠ Help me raise awareness of POTS and other chronic illnesses by visiting my Etsy shop or donating to my Ko-Fi today.⁠ --------------------⁠ #spoonie #spoonielife #dysautonomia #chronicillnesswarrior #sicklife #chronicsick #youngandchronic #invisibleillness #pots #potssyndrome #chronicillnessblog #zebrastrong #spooniesunite #spooniechat #spoonieproblems ⁠ #sickbutinvisible #spoonieproblems #endowarrior #dysautonomiaawareness #migraine⁣⁠ #invisibleillness #autoimmunedisease #fibromyalgia #ehlersdanlossyndrome #butyoudontlooksick #chronicfatigue #gastroparesis #lyme #disability #zebrastrong⁠

PRODUCTS FOR POTS⁠ One of my favourite products for POTS is hydration tablets. They are designed for those who do sports, but when you feel like you're running a marathon every day, you need everything the help you get through. ⁠ ⁠ Check out my 'Products for POTS' post for more of my favourite things to help with POTS symptoms. Link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ --------------------⁠ Help me raise awareness of POTS and other chronic illnesses by visiting my Etsy shop or donating to my Ko-Fi today.⁠ --------------------⁠ #spoonie #spoonielife #nuun #chronicillnesswarrior #sicklife #chronicsick #youngandchronic #invisibleillness #pots #potssyndrome #chronicillnessblog #zebrastrong #spooniesunite #spooniechat #dysautonomia ⁠ #sickbutinvisible #spoonieproblems #endowarrior #dysautonomiaawareness #migraine⁣⁠ #invisibleillness #autoimmunedisease #fibromyalgia #ehlersdanlossyndrome #butyoudontlooksick #chronicfatigue #gastroparesis #lyme #disability #wegotdys⁠

FEATURED ADVOCATE #5⁠ Christine (@thedancingspoonie) was a professional dancer and teacher before being diagnosed with Dysautonomia (Neurocardiogenic Syncope) ~1.5 yrs ago. Initially bedbound, she’s slowly rebuilding.⁠ ⁠ As part of the healing process and finding her new “normal”, she recently started her page and has been overwhelmed by the love and support of this community!⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Christine is currently posting about her Dys journey for Dysautonomia Awareness Month. She also created #thingsdoctorssay , where people share the ridiculous things doctors say them; you can find them in her stories and highlights. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ --------------------⁠ Help me raise awareness of POTS and other chronic illnesses by visiting my Etsy shop or donating to my Ko-Fi today.⁠ --------------------⁠ #spoonie #spoonielife #turnthetownturquoise #chronicillnesswarrior #sicklife #chronicsick #youngandchronic #invisibleillness #pots #potssyndrome #chronicillnessblog #zebrastrong #spooniesunite #spooniechat ⁠ #sickbutinvisible #spoonieproblems #endowarrior #dysautonomiaawareness #migraine⁣⁠ #invisibleillness #autoimmunedisease #fibromyalgia #ehlersdanlossyndrome #butyoudontlooksick #chronicfatigue #gastroparesis #lyme #disability ⁠

Here are my 5 top tips for living well with POTS: 1) Take time to adjust to your diagnosis. Often, POTS symptoms start suddenly and turn your life upside down. Take as much time as you need to find the right doctor and treatment plan for yourself before you return to work or studies. 2) Try all the treatment options available to you. There are many treatment options available for POTS. Some people manage their symptoms with changes to their diet and exercise regime. Others will require extensive rehab and medication. Make sure that you discuss all the treatment options available to you with your doctor to ensure that you are on the correct one for your specific set of symptoms or type of POTS. 3) Don't be afraid to get a new doctor or ask for a second opinion. Many doctors are unaware of POTS and some even refuse to refer young people to specialists for tachycardia. The right doctor is key to improving your quality of life and people with POTS usually require multiple specialists to manage their condition. 4) Find something that you enjoy doing that doesn't worsen your symptoms. You may find that your POTS symptoms prevent you from doing activities that you once enjoyed. This is the perfect opportunity for you to try something new. Low energy craft activities or audiobooks can be a good place to start. 5) Switch off social media. Scrolling through social media and comparing yourself to your healthy friends is just going to make you feel worse. Switch off once in a while and enjoy life without comparing yourself to others. -------------------- Help me raise awareness of POTS and other chronic illnesses by visiting my Etsy shop or donating to my Ko-Fi today. -------------------- #spoonie #spoonielife #dysautonomiaawarenessmonth2019 #chronicillnesswarrior #sicklife #chronicsick #youngandchronic #invisibleillness #pots #potssyndrome #chronicillnessblog #zebrastrong #spooniesunite #spooniechat #dysautonomia #sickbutinvisible #spoonieproblems #endowarrior #dysautonomiaawareness #migraine⁣ #invisibleillness #autoimmunedisease #fibromyalgia #ehlersdanlossyndrome #butyoudontlooksick #chronicfatigue #gastroparesis #lyme #disability #wegotdys

Today is the first-ever POTS Awareness Day. Hop on over to my blog for my round-up post of all my blog posts about living with POTS⁠. Link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ --------------------⁠ Help me raise awareness of POTS and other chronic illnesses by visiting my Etsy shop or donating to my Ko-Fi today.⁠ --------------------⁠ #spoonie #spoonielife #potsuk #chronicillnesswarrior #sicklife #chronicsick #youngandchronic #invisibleillness #pots #potssyndrome #chronicillnessblog #zebrastrong #spooniesunite #spooniechat #dysautonomia ⁠ #sickbutinvisible #spoonieproblems #endowarrior #dysautonomiaawareness #migraine⁣⁠ #invisibleillness #autoimmunedisease #fibromyalgia #ehlersdanlossyndrome #butyoudontlooksick #chronicfatigue #gastroparesis #lyme #disability #potsawarenessday⁠

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I do not have a medical degree and this blog is for your information only and outlines my own personal experiences living with a chronic illness. Your own experiences/ illness will be different to mine. Any radical lifestyle changes such as a new exercise programme or diet should be discussed with your doctor first.

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