The Spoonies Community

Eline Duk

Chronic pain & illness is a noisy & lonely journey. One full of unanswered questions. The Spoonies Community with Eline Duk is a podcast for people who want practical tools, honest stories and a gentle but effective way to reclaim their life. Rooted in Eline’s own lived experience with chronic illness, and co-hosted by her husband Marcus Pask, the show is on the lookout for people who are living great, meaningful lives despite health challenges. Some episodes are honest, personal conversations where Eline and Marcus share how they manage living with chronic illness and the somatic, trauma-informed and other healing methods/practices that help. Other episodes are interviews with clinicians, researchers or other Spoonies who have navigated big transformations themselves to find purpose and joy. Whether you live with CRPS, FND, EDS, POTS, migraine, any other (in)visible condition or even without a diagnosis, you’ll find candid conversations about identity, grief and practical steps that actually move the needle. Show notes include episode transcripts, resources and links to free tools from The Spoonies Community. Subscribe to the podcast and join other Spoonies reclaiming energy, safety and agency over their own lives. Website: www.thespooniescommunity.com IG: www.instagram.com/thespooniescommunity

Episodes

  1. 4D AGO

    9 ~ Sex, intimacy & chronic illness: the conversation no one is having

    In this episode, Marcus and I are talking about sex, intimacy, chronic pain and chronic illness. We’re having an honest conversation about how disability, pain, fatigue and body changes can affect intimacy, relationships and self-confidence. When you live with chronic illness or disability, intimacy can feel complicated. It can bring up insecurity, awkwardness, grief, fear, body image struggles and a lot of questions that people often don’t talk about out loud. In this episode, we share our own experience of navigating intimacy after my accidents, while living with CRPS, FND, chronic pain, spasms and fatigue. We talk about what changed for us, what felt hard, what helped, and why communication became such a big part of finding each other again, not just as patient and carer, but as partners. We talk about: sex and intimacy with chronic illnesshow chronic pain and disability can affect relationshipsthe impact of body changes on confidence and self-imagehow to talk to your partner about intimacywhy intimacy is about more than sexrebuilding trust, safety and connection in a relationship This episode is for people living with chronic illness, chronic pain or disability, and for partners who want to better understand how to navigate intimacy together. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Topic05:30 Impact on Romanticism and Spontaneity11:18 Balancing Caregiver and Partner Roles17:00 Laughter and Lightheartedness22:24 Diverse Forms of Intimacy35:48 Exploring Different Forms of Intimacy If this episode resonates, I’d love for you to leave a review, share it with someone who needs it, or send me a message on Instagram with your thoughts or questions. And if you’d like us to record a part 2 on this topic, let me know!

    42 min
  2. MAR 23

    8 ~ How your body stores emotions & creates chronic pain (somatic work explained with Marcus)

    Eline & Marcus sit down for an honest (and sometimes hilarious) conversation about somatic work for chronic pain and illness — and why it's not as "woo-woo" as Marcus originally thought. If you've ever wondered why chronic pain won't go away even when doctors say there's nothing wrong, or how your body stores emotions and trauma... this episode is for you. We talk about: How your brain interprets pain signals (and why two people with the same injury can feel completely different levels of pain)Why emotions are your body's biggest "danger signal" — and what happens when you ignore them for too longThe difference between somatic work and therapy (and why bodywork matters just as much as talk therapy)What actually happens during a personalized somatic retreat in Ibiza (spoiler: it's not all breathwork and meditation — there's also really good food)How Marcus went from thinking psychologists were "voodoo" to understanding energy work, nervous system regulation, and why Eline sometimes shakes her hands like she's flicking water off themWhy your lower back pain might not be about your posture at allHow to support a partner doing deep healing work (even if you're not doing it yourself)This conversation gets real about burnout, chronic illness, the bucket of emotions we all carry, and why your body is way smarter than you think. If you've been stuck in chronic pain, fatigue, or illness for years and nothing's worked... this might be the missing piece. Want to learn more about somatic work or book a free 30-minute call about the retreat? DM me on Instagram @thespooniescommunity — I'd love to chat. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Marcus learns what somatic work actually is 08:04 The brain's response to pain and emotions 12:02 Emotions as energy in motion 13:42 Emotional release and chronic conditions 19:03 Tapping into the wisdom of the body 24:59 Integration and long-term impact of somatic work 33:02 What happens during a personalized somatic retreat 38:33 Connection with the universe (and why Marcus was skeptical)

    49 min
  3. JAN 26

    5 ~ Amelia Peckham transforms a life-changing injury into empowerment for the disabled community

    Amelia Peckham shares her journey from the accident that left her with a permanent disability to her recovery and rehabilitation. The conversation covers her life before the accident, the impact of the accident, the challenges of the first six months, and the motivation and support that helped her through. All of this led her to building her own company called Cool Crutches. She was determined that if walking on crutches would be the rest of her life, she would go do that with proper, ergonomically approved ones that wouldn't give her additional injuries. Further down in the conversation, she highlights the resilience and determination of individuals with disabilities. Amelia discusses the importance of finding a supportive community during her rehabilitation, the challenges she faced, and her journey of overcoming physical limitations while advocating for better equipment and support for individuals with chronic illness and disabilities. Takeaways ResilienceCommunity supportThe Start of Cool CrutchesRehabilitation challenges Managing energy and prioritizing tasksResilience and adaptability in entrepreneurship Chapters 00:00 Finding Inspiration in Others' Stories22:15 Finding Community Support in Physiotherapy33:09 The Journey of Rehabilitation Challenges39:50 Challenges of Living with a Chronic Illness45:02 Acceptance and Quality of Life51:07 Setting Future Goals and Intentions Where can you find Amelia? @coolcrutches @amelia.peckham www.coolcrutches.com Use discount code "SPOONIES" to get 10% of your order on Cool Crutches!

    52 min

About

Chronic pain & illness is a noisy & lonely journey. One full of unanswered questions. The Spoonies Community with Eline Duk is a podcast for people who want practical tools, honest stories and a gentle but effective way to reclaim their life. Rooted in Eline’s own lived experience with chronic illness, and co-hosted by her husband Marcus Pask, the show is on the lookout for people who are living great, meaningful lives despite health challenges. Some episodes are honest, personal conversations where Eline and Marcus share how they manage living with chronic illness and the somatic, trauma-informed and other healing methods/practices that help. Other episodes are interviews with clinicians, researchers or other Spoonies who have navigated big transformations themselves to find purpose and joy. Whether you live with CRPS, FND, EDS, POTS, migraine, any other (in)visible condition or even without a diagnosis, you’ll find candid conversations about identity, grief and practical steps that actually move the needle. Show notes include episode transcripts, resources and links to free tools from The Spoonies Community. Subscribe to the podcast and join other Spoonies reclaiming energy, safety and agency over their own lives. Website: www.thespooniescommunity.com IG: www.instagram.com/thespooniescommunity