Counting My Spoons

Inspired Living with Chronic Illness

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You are here: Home / Archives for My Life

My Life

These posts discuss various aspects of my life, whether it's my latest symptom, a current event, or an upcoming surgery.

How I reclaimed my life from chronic illness

Last Updated: May 13, 2021

How I Reclaimed My Life from Chronic Pain Life is a constant state of reclaiming. At least my life is. For every loss I faced, I must then reclaim a life I want. Whatever the struggle, I have to come back and reclaim the life I have chosen. What other choice is there? Giving up? That's no choice … [Read more...]

2 Comments Filed Under: Close to My Heart, My Life, sponsored Tagged With: chronic fatigue, chronic illness, chronic pain, recovery

Counting My Spoons – Ask Me Anything

Last Updated: April 19, 2021

Counting My Spoons - Ask Me Anything

Every so often I put out a call on Facebook to Ask Me Anything. Below are some of the questions and my answers. Do you live in a state that has legalized medical marijuana and if so have you tried it? Unfortunately, I do not live in a state that has legalized medical (or any) marijuana. … [Read more...]

6 Comments Filed Under: Coping, Diet and Nutrition, Medications, My Life, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: cbd oil, dealing with doctors, doctors, guilt, marijuana

My Story of Recovery from Fibromyalgia

Last Updated: October 30, 2020

From Fatigued to Fantastic: my story of recovery from chronic illness

It's been a decade since I became ill and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I spent the first two years barely existing. Getting out of bed was a struggle. Thankfully, I did find some answers that helped me recover and return to a mostly normal life. My story of recovery from fibromyalgia Don't get … [Read more...]

5 Comments Filed Under: Diet and Nutrition, Fibro Warriors, Fibromyalgia, My Life, relationships, Treatment Tagged With: acceptance, chronic fatigue, chronic illness, chronic pain, diagnosis, health, recovery, TMJ Disorder

Balancing full-time RV travel life with chronic illness

Last Updated: July 27, 2020

Balancing full-time rv travel and chronic illness

Just about a month ago my guy and I traded in normal life for a life of full-time travel. We've learned a lot in those few weeks, and we're still learning. I'm relearning how to pace myself and we're both learning how to balance work and travel life with chronic illness. I've learned that … [Read more...]

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Coping, My Life Tagged With: pacing, travel

Coming Out of the Chronic Illness Closet

Last Updated: June 14, 2020

Coming out of the chronic illness closet

Being open about your chronic illness can often be as difficult as coming out of the closet about your sexuality. In both cases, you rightfully worry that you will be judged, that you won't be accepted, and that opportunities may be taken away from you.  Chronic Mom shared a great post about … [Read more...]

2 Comments Filed Under: Fibromyalgia, inspiration, My Life, relationships Tagged With: asking for help, disability accommodations, school

How living in an RV with a chronic illness is simplifying my life

Last Updated: September 30, 2019

Life in an RV with chronic illness

The last couple of years have been all about simplifying life. So, why would I seemingly make things difficult by choosing to live in an RV with chronic illness? How does life in an RV, when you are chronically ill, equate to a more simple life? How does any life in an RV make things more … [Read more...]

8 Comments Filed Under: inspiration, My Life Tagged With: decreasing stress, stress, travel

My experience with ACA subsidized insurance (after two years)

Last Updated: August 5, 2019

My experience with insurance through the ACA exchange

My biggest concern when I got divorced in 2017 was how I would handle health insurance. Living with chronic illness I was fairly sure my only option would be going through the exchange at healthcare.gov. But, I'd heard horror stories about how expensive it still could be, and about the limited … [Read more...]

4 Comments Filed Under: Coping, My Life

Overlap Between Intercranial Hypertension and Fibromyalgia

Last Updated: April 24, 2019

The potential link between intercranial hypertension and fibromyalgia

A couple of months ago I began experiencing some severe exertion headaches that were definitely not migraines. A month of tests resulted in the usual outcome - doctors having no idea what's going on and dismissing me. This year was a busy one. I'd been spending the weekends overworking myself, … [Read more...]

21 Comments Filed Under: Conditions, Medical Studies, My Life Tagged With: chronic fatigue, headaches

Building a Solid Healthcare Team Isn’t Easy

Last Updated: February 11, 2019

Building a solid healthcare team isn't easy

Over the last decade I've really struggled to build a medical team I can trust and I think I have finally almost managed it... just in time to barely need most of them. My greatest struggle has been finding a good general practitioner. For about two years I didn't have one at all and strictly … [Read more...]

6 Comments Filed Under: Huntsville Stuff, My Life Tagged With: communication, doctors

2017: A year in review

Last Updated: January 1, 2018

2017 year in review - image of Julie on the beach in Carslbad CA

Happy New Year! 2017 has been a very eventful year for me. In February I had my third surgery for Endometriosis. The recovery went super easy thanks to a combination of Oska and a CBD pain patch. I recovered so well that I was able to travel just a couple of weeks after surgery. Speaking of … [Read more...]

Leave a Comment Filed Under: My Life Tagged With: oska

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About Julie

Spoonie. Fibro Warrior. E-health advocate.

Julie Ryan was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2010 and endometriosis in 2012. She's lived with chronic migraine most of her life. In 2019 she was diagnosed with inter-cranial hypertension.

Julie has a degree in Psychology, and works as a freelance writer and marketer. Freelance work allows her to work when she can and not be tied to a desk or a schedule. Julie believes in living an inspired life despite chronic illness.

"I have chronic illness, it doesn't have me."

More about Julie

Blog title inspired by The Spoon Theory, by Christine Miserandino, an excellent explanation of what it's like to live with invisible illness. Read More…

Disclaimer:

I am not a doctor. I do not claim to be a doctor. I do not play a doctor on TV or the internet. I simply share my experiences and what has worked for me. We are all different and before you try any new treatment, exercise, supplement, etc you should talk with your doctor (the real one, not the one on TV).

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