Moving in With a Chronic Illness: MCAS

Unpacking boxes is a painful process. My scoliosis and lordosis makes it almost impossible to bend over. Standing up is hard enough. I've been working as hard as I can, but there are still so many things that need put away. Organizing as I go is necessary, because of the small size of our new home.

Hubby and I need to take many breaks to rest physically and mentally. You know how awful moving really is, if you can't afford a full-service moving company. I can't wait to see the house when the inside is de-cluttered and clean.

Yesterday, a new chronic condition appeared. I'm in a flare of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. It started with a headache, and followed closely with bright red cheeks. They are very warm and are almost purple. They go back and forth from a vertical rectangle on the side of my nose and then the entire cheek is covered.

This morning was especially bad with the red cheeks and headache. I also felt sick and miserable inside. GERD was really strong, which is unusual. The medications I take usually prevent that awful feeling. My cheeks began to itch and my upper arms joined the party.

So, I started 50 mg of Benadryl every 4 hours. There are many symptoms of MCAS, besides red cheeks, rashes and headaches. My anxiety is worse and my blood pressure has been extremely low.

The last two years or so, my blood pressure has crept higher and higher. So, last week when I had 118 over 60, I was pleased. I also wondered what the cause had been. This week the doctor's office found that I had 109 over 41. That seemed scary, but the nurse just ignored it.

Now, I find that this is another symptom of a Mast Cell flare. I don't think that the nurse should have ignored the very low blood pressure. The top number is fine, but the bottom number is too low. This is called Hypotension.

Because Ibuprofen is not good for MCAS, I'm just dealing with a headache. This is making me grumpy and more fatigued than usual. Hubby insisted that I take a day off from unpacking. I agreed and just hope that this flare will end soon.

MCAS isn't an invisible illness, because of the rashes. It's a chronic condition that brings me symptoms that are ugly and miserable. I am still very happy to be in our new home. We're so close to 2 of our grandchildren and I hope to invite them over soon. It's not safe on the floor right now.

Mast Cell disorders aren't usually on my mind. But, when I flare with tons of histamine, the symptoms are what my mind thinks of. I hope to escape these thoughts soon.

@2025, copyright Lisa Ehrman

Disclaimer: I'm not a medical expert. This post contains my opinions and experiences and is not meant to be taken as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please consult your personal physician.