If you aren't familiar with the spoon theory, I suggest you read it.
But, for now, TL;DR :
For people who deal with chronic pain, this is a reality. This past Friday, I had a good day. I made food, I went to meetings, I organized my apartment, and I took a bath and shower. I was tired at the end of the day, but had at least one "spoon" left over, which I planned to "use" the next morning to finish unpacking and help my roommate move in.
I got up at 7:30 a.m., and made myself a good breakfast. But, then I started to slow down quickly. I conserved my energy and didn't even so much as wash my face. I managed to move my bags out of the hall to make room for my roommate's things, but they just landed in a pile on my bedroom floor. There wasn't energy to put things away. I was already more tired than I should be by 9am. I stayed awake, but hardly moved from the couch, occasionally conversing, but not doing anything.
Finally, I took a nap around 10. I woke up and made some lunch and ate it. I was still hungry so I made some kale chips. A friend came by and I joyfully chatted with her, thinking my nap had helped me. But, little did I know, all of that had taken a lot of "spoons." Soon I was laying in my bed, crying from exhaustion and frustration.
My roommate brought me medicine and I took it and waited. Within 15 minutes I felt I could take a shower before a meeting. But once I got in the shower, my energy was gone. I sat on the floor of the tub and washed my hair crouched over, too tired to stand.
By 7pm some medicine kicked in and I was able to go to my meeting and be fairly cheerful. I was able to walk to my car to get some papers I forgot. Things that two hours before I wouldn't have been able to do. By 8:30 p.m. I was able to energetically catch up with a sorority sister who just got engaged.
But, by the time 9 p.m. hit, all my spoons were gone for good. My roommate got me an icepack, and I managed to crawl in and out the bathtub filled with essential oils before getting to bed.
You never know how many "spoons" you'll get. You never know if some of them may be better after a rest (maybe after they're "washed"). One minute you could be jabbering away and the next unable to move.
But it's real. It's very, very real. I would've loved to talk to my friends long into the night and catch up. I would've loved to help move heavy things around the apartment. I would've loved to get some emails sent out. But I couldn't. It's not because I (we) don't want to, it's because I (we) can't. We just run out of "spoons."
