A swirly background in blues, oranges, and golds. The words HOLIDAYS 2022 are on torn gold paper, along with the Autostraddle logo.
Holigays 2022 // Header by Viv Le

A Spoonie is an affectionate name for a chronically ill person who has limited energy (spoons!) to use on any given day. It’s a rad community of resilient people whose physical, emotional, and cognitive struggles are mostly invisible to their friends, colleagues, and even family members. Yet, despite appearances, most of us are usually dealing with pain and fatigue on a daily basis. Below are gift ideas from me and the other Spoonies in my life, little things that make our daily lifts just a bit easier and happier.

Books

The books: Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong, The Long Covid Survival Guide, The Pretty One by Keah Brown, We Are Never Meeting In Real Life by Sam Irby, A Quick & Easy Guide to Sex & Disability by A Andrews, and Disability Visibility by Alice Wong
1. The Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong ($15) // 2. The Long Covid Survival Guide edited by Fiona Lowenstein ($18) // 3. The Pretty One by Keah Brown ($15) // 4. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby ($15) // 5. A Quick & Easy Guide to Sex & Disability by A. Andrews ($10) // h6. Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, edited by Alice Wong ($15)

From advice to memoir to essay collection to graphic novel, this little list of books covers so many topics chronically ill and disabled folks will be able to relate to. These titles will make Spoonies laugh, make them cry, make them feel seen, and maybe even help them learn to navigate the world in safer and more fulfilling ways.

Pain Relief

1. A hot and cold pain pack. 2. A heated eye pillow. 3. A cooling pain pad. 4. A heating pad. 5. Pain relieving patches. 6. Compression socks.
1. Hot & Cold pack ($16) // 2. Heated eye pillow ($30) // 3. Buzzy shot pain reducer ($130) // 4. XXL Heating Pad ($45) // 5. Salonpas patches ($10) // 6. Compression socks ($30)

For most Spoonies, our pains are never actually going to go away — but there are things that help us manage the constant aches and stings and cramps and zaps. Mostly, cold and heat! Compression socks might seem out of place here, but they provide relief to people with so many different conditions, from Dysautonomia to Diabetes. Most compression socks are not cute! But ProCompression has the best looking ones in the game. Plus, they’ve always got a discount going.

Helpful Gadgets

1. Noise canceling headphones. 2. A tablet gripper. 3. A foldable camping chair. 4. A jar opener. 5. A vacuum. 6. A roomba.
1. Noise-canceling headphones ($60) // 2. Tablet/phone grip/holder/stand ($100) // 3. Kelty Essential Chair ($75) // 4. Jar opener ($17) // 5. Electric mop ($120) // 6. Roomba ($300)

One of the first books I read about having chronic illness advised me to take up the mantra “Every little bit helps!” No, having a fold-out chair to sit on when I’m at outdoor events isn’t going to cure me, but it sure is going to make my time outside a whole lot more comfortable and less faint-y. Same with cleaning tools that take less energy and time than normal tools. A jar opener can be the difference between a tasty dinner or not for someone with arthritis or Ehlers-Danlos.

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Subscription Boxes

1. A pair of socks with breakfast foods on them. 2. A tea kit. 3. A snack crate full of assorted snacks. 4. A "hug in the box" subscription care box for friends. 5. Nonalcoholic beer. 6. a bouquet of orange and yellow flowers.
1. Awesome Socks Club ($14 per month) // 2. Sip by tea ($16 per month) // 3. SnackCrate ($22 per month) // 4. BuddyBox Hug in a Box $21 per month) // 5. Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic beer box ($27 per month) // 6. Urban Stems ($55-$105 per month)

Most Spoonies spend more time isolated inside than their pals, especially as the Covid pandemic rages on. Also most Spoonies get bombarded with medical bills in the mail all the time. A subscription box will remind your Spoonie, monthly, that you’re thinking about them and sending them your love (along with, perhaps, a tasty pack of snacks). Everyone loves getting treats delivered, especially when you can’t always go out looking for treats for yourself.