My journey has been quite unexpected. Along the way though, there are points that deserve a pin on the map. Times when you choose to take a different direction, or you meet new companions. Sometimes they are only seen in hindsight, some that are immediately obvious. The last two weeks have turned things upside down.… Read more A Milestone: A new allergist.
In the last few years, the information around mast cell disorders has changed quite a bit. There is some confusion about what word is the ‘right’ one. It’s slowly coming together, and if will almost certainly change again many times. The terminology (if not the criterion) is slowly coming together and becoming more universal.. SO, I won’t… Read more What is MCAS?
April 2017 A physician said that to me a couple of years ago, and I was startled by it. I’ve had allergies my whole life, but I haven’t always been actively sick. I didn’t see myself as ‘sick’ until November 2011, but looking back, I am realizing that I haven’t been exactly ‘well’, either. People… Read more “So, you’ve been sick your whole life.”
Hello, and welcome. I’m Karen, and I would like to invite you to walk with me along my journey. It isn’t always the easiest hiking trail, but it is rarely boring. When I was in school, Rick Hansen was doing his around the world journey in his wheelchair, to raise awareness for spinal cord research. When… Read more Welcome!
“I don’t care if you call it an allergy or a sensitivity. I don’t care which immunoglobulin set it off. All I know is that I’m not getting enough air!” Ahh, the power of language. I said that when I was in the ER, and having an anaphylactic reaction. The nurse chose that moment to… Read more Definition of ‘Allergy’