Absolutely Abysmal Health

For the past few years, my mast cell episodes have mostly revolved around critical breathing difficulties, bone pain, joint pain and anaphylaxis.  These episodes have been so severe that it landed me in the hospital a couple of times.

These past few years were a change from much of the previous 20 years though.  I still had the breathing difficulties in those first 20 years but they were not nearly as drastic nor as persistent as the past few years.  I also had anaphylaxis a couple of times a month but my body always seemed to rebound quickly to help fight the anaphylaxis.  Those first 20 years of episodes always seemed to involve severe, painful, nauseating gastro-intestinal problems too but these seemed mostly under control over the past few years.  I still had enough gastro problems to keep me near a bathroom often enough but the severe cramping and nausea seemed to be under control.  

My first bout of COVID in 2020 seemed to change my 20 year pattern of episodes.  This is when my primary complaint turned to severe and persistent breathing problems.  So, for the past five years, my worst and most persistent problem was the ability to breathe easily.  I still experienced anaphylaxis every couple of months but I only ended up in a hospital a few times in these years of COVID.  

Today, I experienced an episode very much like my early years of this incurable disease.  The intestinal cramping was so severe it was unbearable.  The nausea was so unbearable I had to take my emergency anti-nausea medication.  This came on suddenly too so I was already in the bathroom, sick as a dog, when I realized I needed my medications which were on the other side of the house.  Getting to my medications and then back to the bathroom was not fun in the least.

Everything hurt, including my bones.  I was holding back vomit as I was experiencing diarrhea.  I was flushed, hot, sweating and about to lose consciousness.  I had a cold compress on my neck and forehead.  This was a drastic change from the past few COVID years and is quite notable that I did not experience any breathing difficulties this time.

I gagged down some emergency medications (I was holding back vomiting so ingesting anything was going in the opposite direction than my body wanted) and I started feeling a bit more stable about an hour later.  I still feel quite lousy but I felt more stable within an hour.  

I haven't been that "sick" during an episode in quite some time.  I don't miss this.  Let's hope this isn't a change that will stick around for a while.  That was incredibly brutal.

Once I start feeling more stable (after emergency medications), I get very cold, pale, and weak.  The emergency medications will make me drowsy for days so this will be a quiet weekend at home.

We had hoped to go to a Large Scale Train Show out of town this weekend (related to my garden railroad trains) but I believe I'll be sleeping through most of this weekend instead.  

I'll revisit this blog entry when I feel a bit better to update it, add some additional details that I'm sure I forgot to mention, and to correct any typos.  Hopefully that will be sometime tonight.  

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It is now Sunday and I'm definitely feeling more stable, however, I'm still dealing with the drowsiness brought on by my emergency medications.  It has been a quiet weekend so that is good.  Hopefully I'll be feeling well enough tomorrow to accomplish one or two things around the house.