Mast Cell Activation Syndrome has been pretty well under control for the last year.

Until recently.

It’s allergy season so it’s not surprising that most cells are a little active. I’ve been getting bug bites that are extremely inflamed and having reactions to foods (throat tightening, scratchy throat and mouth, digestive distress) and various rashes have popped up. All very common – and familiar.

I haven’t needed to be on stabilizers aside from Benadryl – which I primarily take for pain but also helps with MCAS. However I am now restarting everything: Cromolyn sodium, Singulair, Xyzal, stinging nettle – and he’s recommended a steroid injection (generally a big no no with Lyme) if I can’t get this calmed down quickly.

Truth be told, I’ve been feeling pretty hopeless lately – told the doctor that too. He smiled and for the hundredth time reassured me that I’m on the right track. This isn’t a setback – just a bump in the road.

Hope is a tricky thing when you’re sick. It’s hard to hold onto when you feel like you don’t have control. But I guess that’s what true hope is about, isn’t it. Believing that even when something is out of your control, it’s going to be ok.

Today – I’m not sure I fully believe that it will be ok. But I want it to be. So I’m gonna keep moving forward. One day at a time.