What Is a ‘Spoonie’?

If you’re active on the Internet, particularly in groups and forums regarding chronic illness, you’ve definitely noticed the term “spoonie” being thrown around.

MORE: Eighty-one-year-old to walk 500 miles to raise money for pulmonary hypertension research.

Spoonie is a term coined by a chronic illness blogger, who used spoons to demonstrate how much energy a person with a chronic illness has each day, and how much is used up doing simple tasks like washing or getting dressed.

As this video by Hot Pink Sun explains, the symbolism stuck and spoonie is now a widely used term for anyone who has a chronic illness,

MORE: What exactly is pulmonary hypertension?

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