June 17, 2025
Hereditary
Joanna, one of our wonderful Spoony community members, shares her experiences of living with hereditary chronic illnesses, and her thoughts and feelings about being a chronically ill woman.
Joanna, one of our wonderful Spoony community members, shares her experiences of living with hereditary chronic illnesses, and her thoughts and feelings about being a chronically ill woman.
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"It's just something your Nan had,
Your Mum, your Auntie, your Gran.
It's just something our women get."
Then why am I the one doing this journey,
The research,
The treatments?
Why am I the one asking the questions,
Putting in the work,
Paying the price,
Carrying the burden?
Why did you not prepare me?
Why has each woman in our family,
Our line,
Our village,
Not pushed and raged and screamed until someone gave us answers?
And if they did,
Why are we still told the same thing?
Why is it normal for a woman our age—
From 11 to 85?
Why do they think it's okay to look us in the eyes and say,
"It's fine."
Why did I have a daughter?
Joanna spends her time split between toddler wrangling, medical admin, and pretending she could survive in her current fantasy read (she would immediately get KO'd by gluten or stairs). Her "chronic ramblings" have been a way of venting frustration about life with multiple chronic illnesses and all that goes with them. You can follow her on Instagram.