How the Problem of Caregiving Stress Brought on My MCAS

In this post, I share how caregiving stress brought on my MCAS.

I have had Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) symptoms my whole life, but it was not a definitive condition until years of caregiving stress compounded to bring the situation into relief. In 2020 after six years of intense caregiving we moved into a new house to escape the mold situation in our old home. Maybe it was the move on top of already having a very full bucket from caregiving. It may have been a combination of things. I’ll never know. But that year began a free-fall of symptoms which led to the discovery that I had MCAS.

My caregiving stress

My MCAS because it was so bad I was trying anything I could think of to make my symptoms better. This time turned out to be a turning point for me when I applied my forgiveness practice to the situation and realized there were some unhealed areas of my life calling out for attention. I realized that behind my illness was the assumption that I had to continue to be my daughter’s full-time caregiver in order to keep her alive. When I applied the light of forgiveness to the situation I had an epiphany about my health.

This healing I’m talking about was in my mind so it didn’t exactly change my MCAS symptoms, but it led me to write my second book, and then I began sharing my MCAS journey more publicly.

I was invited onto the Miracle Voices Podcast to talk about this forgiveness experience, and I have linked episode #47 below:

So, I invite you to listen and get a taste of the nature of this profound turning point in my MCAS journey. And I’d love to hear about your MCAS journey in the comments below!

What is MCAS?

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. MCAS is serious and disabling and people with MCAS experience often significant and debilitating symptoms daily, including anaphylaxis, which can be fatal.

MCAS is often found in combination with other chronic conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

Frequently healthcare providers do not know about MCAS, and the tests for MCAS are problematic because they are not uniformly reliable. MCAS can be difficult to manage. Treatments include blocking mast cell mediators with anti-histamines and mast cell stabilizers, as well as avoiding triggers.

Check out this post on how to manage MCAS.

Why caregiving stress?

The stress of caregiving pushes you beyond your normal coping mechanisms. Add to that the stress of having a chronic illness yourself, and you have a recipe for disaster. Caregiving stress is like no other because you don’t get a break. Check out this post where I discuss caregiving survival tips.

The bucket theory

The bucket theory offers a helpful analogy for understanding symptom reactions with MCAS.

Think of your body as an empty bucket that you want to keep from overflowing. Different foods and activities fill your histamine bucket at different speeds but they combine to form the total level of histamine in your body (how full your bucket is). A fuller bucket means you have more histamine symptoms. When you manage triggers, reduce exposure to known triggers, and take medications and supplements to reduce histamine, you can manage the level of your bucket.

Know your typical symptom progression

Knowing your symptom progression in a symptom flare is the key to developing your own rescue plan. In this post, I discuss how to determine your own symptom progression. Once you know what typically happens in your symptom progression you can design a rescue plan to address those symptoms.

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What do you think?

I’d love to hear your comments about this post below!