SPOONIE DAY: The Simple App for Managing Chronic Illness
Blackburn Labs is proud to announce the launch of Spoonie Day, a personal accomplishment of Julie Blackburn, our Chief Data Scientist. Julie dedicates this application to all the Spoonies of the chronic illness community, hoping her devotion to this passion project will help to make their lives more manageable. To familiarize yourself with “The Spoon Theory” by Christine Miserandino, SpoonieDay.com shares a quick three-minute video that will fill you in.
So, how does our app help? Well, Spoonies can save their energy because we’ve kept it simple! As the theory goes, Spoonie Day starts by giving individuals just 12 spoons to work with each day. As you plan your day by adding activities, each will cost at least one spoon. By understanding the limitations of their energy levels, Spoonies can empower themselves by planning every day wisely. The app also makes it possible for users to rate their moods, discover trends, and make notes! While more features are to come, Blackburn Labs has already made Spoonie Day available as an iOS App or as a Web App, and… it’s free to use!
For a brief insight into how Spoonie Day came about, Julie’s diagnosis of primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) came soon after the birth of her second son. This new life and its associated fatigue sent Julie looking for a spoon-tracking app to help her take control. In Julie’s words, “When you’re out of spoons, you’re out of spoons… and that’s it.” It’s necessary to manage your spoons. To her surprise, there wasn’t a single app that did. As a result, Julie took this opportunity to make a difference, and the Spoonie Day app became a labor of love.
You always want to reserve one spoon for the end of the day, because that’s your spoon to sit and be with your family…Julie Blackburn
Founder & CEO, SpoonieDay.com
As Julie set out, she was not alone. Supporting her wholeheartedly, husband Robert Blackburn, CEO of Blackburn Labs, executed the software development to bring her idea to life. Robert mentions, “One future feature of the app is to allow a Spoonie to share their daily info with people in their support network. That way partners, parents, etc., can see where they’re at for the day without having to ask and be able to support them better.”
On that note, Blackburn Labs invites you to explore how the Spoonie Day app can help you or a loved one. At SpoonieDay.com we give you an overview and access to the app, plus a look into the life of Spoonies. Finally, we leave you with Julie’s best advice, “You always want to reserve one spoon for the end of the day, because that’s your spoon to sit and be with your family….” That’s the big goal! Because we care, we urge you to be your own advocate.
