Anyone with mastocytosis or MCAS can attest that the holidays are the worst time of year for some of us. The added stress, change of seasons, a barrage of smells, foods we want to eat but can’t have (but probably sneak some of anyway and then pay for it later)… ugh! It can be a nightmare.

This year I did pretty well mostly because we’re empty nesters now so my holidays are much less busy and my symptoms overall are more controlled than ever. I’ve worked out the right medicines to take (I use mostly OTC in combination with a couple of Rx meds) and recipes I can use that don’t trigger me that also keep everyone else happy because they taste delicious. So no one is made to go without here just because my mast cells want to be assholes. 🙄

It took forever to fine tune my cooking, though, and the fact that my son who also has MCAS has different food triggers than me makes it unbearably difficult at times to make meals we can eat and enjoy together. Finding foods that we can enjoy period has been a huge journey and now that we’re on the other side of it I am happy to share my experiences here just in case it helps one other person out there suffering from this insidious disease.

In case you are one of those people, I hope your holidays were degranulation free, too, and that you’ve managed to find a way to live through this time of year with as little pain and suffering as possible. A few years ago I wasn’t sure I would live to see another holiday, or if I even wanted to given how much pain and suffering I was enduring at the time, so I understand if you’re also struggling. If you are, just hang in there. I’m living proof you can successfully manage mast cell disease but it does take patience, persistence and a whole lot of stubbornness.

It also helps to not go it alone. 💜