Tag Archives: balance

Do We Ever Stop Counting?

Posted on October 6, 2021 by Jennie Spotila

I have been sick for twenty-seven years, today. My sickaversary gives rise to different feelings every year. Burdened. Triumphant. Heartsick. Contented. Marking the day, here with you or on my own, feels important. October 6th is the day my life … Continue reading →

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“It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life.”

Posted on October 7, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

It’s been twenty-four years. Twenty-four years since the morning I woke up with a sore throat, went to work, and got so sick I could barely walk home. Twenty-four years since I became incurable. And this year, I hardly noticed. … Continue reading →

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Better Late Than Not At All

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Last night, I was really struggling to come up with anything to be grateful for. I can’t say that no one in our family died this year. I can’t say my husband is getting closer to returning to work. I … Continue reading →

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23 and ME

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

May the depths you have reached hold you still – John O’Donohue Twenty-three years ago today, I woke up with a sore throat. I went to work, and within a few hours I had a high fever and could barely … Continue reading →

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Another Reason to Stay

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

My Mom played the cello every day, even while enduring chemotherapy. Her last lesson was less than two months before she died. Mom loved the cello, but I never really understood her dedication. Even when I took piano lessons as … Continue reading →

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The Wall of Nope

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Jennie Spotila

I have reached a new low in life with ME. I call it: The Wall of Nope. The Wall of Nope is not a physical crash. It’s an inability to deal with obligations and necessary things. Here’s an example: I’m … Continue reading →

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21

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

October 6, 2015 was my 21st “sickaversary.” I know the date because the onset of ME/CFS in my case was so sudden and dramatic. Not a single doctor told me that I could be sick for years. Not a single … Continue reading →

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A Miracle, and a Break

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

This year has been the most difficult of my life, starting with my Mom’s passing in January. Losing her was just the first in a cascade of bad news, and I made the decision to stop maintaining that laundry list … Continue reading →

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