In this episode of Checking In we hear from June, a woman who uses a CPAP machine to treat her sleep apnea. June tells us that she experiences a lot of shame and embarrassment about her CPAP machine when sleeping next to her partner, and she wants advice about how to deal. Carolyn chats with Morgan Greene, a chronic illness advocate and writer, and Sari Cooper, a sex therapist. In these conversations, our guests share advice about communicating effectively with your partner, asking for help when you need it, and adjusting to life with a chronic illness—one that absolutely can, and should, include love, joy, and deeply meaningful relationships.

Morgan Greene writes about her life with chronic illness, and also offers advice and resources on her blog. You can also follow her @iswaswillbeblog or subscribe to her YouTube channel. 

For more about Sari Cooper, follow her @saricoopersexesteem, or learn more about her work at the Center for Love and Sex.

If you’re interested in learning more about the spoonie community or would like to connect with others who live with a chronic illness, start here with the original 2003 blog post that kicked off the movement. At the time of publication, there are over two million posts on Instagram that use the hashtag #spoonie. You can also follow the hashtag on Twitter. If you’re looking for a community of others living with a chronic illness, check out Patients Rising.

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