Allergic to the World

Mastocytosis Flare Recovery Month 9 Day 17

Second Day Beach Side

• Brain fog is better- I am able to recall information better and have more clarity.
• Tolerated the extra exercise of schlepping beach stuff- something my man usually does for me 🙂
• Went down on my steroids this morning.
• Tried formula tonight… Sadly, it did not go well. My throat started swelling and became smaller than it has in a long time. I am disappointed but it was probably too much too soon. It wasn’t until day four I was really feeling well and we have been here less than 48 hrs.

Plan B

Once you have an allergic reaction your body becomes flooded with over 200 chemicals. All those chemicals floating around in your body makes it much easier to have another reaction in the days to come. It takes time for your body to get rid of all that stuff. Meanwhile, it is very important to avoid any potential triggers during this time. I won’t be trying any more formula while I am here. I’m going to focus on getting some vitamin sea and letting my body heal.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

Control

One thing this disease has taught me is to be very flexible. Control is something most people like to have, myself included. We want to choose what happens to us, where we will go and what we will do. We choose where we will live, what we will wear, what we will eat, and who we hang out with. When faced with a crisis of health, finance, etc. those choices become a luxury that may not be obtainable. Having an incurable chronic disease takes away a lot of choices.

I can not choose for myself…

• what I eat
• how my body responds
• where I go
• what I am able to do
• If I am able to work
• When I will sleep

I can’t:

• Clean my own house
• Wear perfume or cosmetics
• get my nails done
• Go out to lunch with girlfriends
• Pet my dog
• Go out on a date with my husband

I don’t say those things to complain. My point is that much of what we see as control is an illusion. It is an illusion because it can be taken away in one brief moment. The loss of a job, someone hurting us, a car accident, a life altering diagnosis, or the death of a loved one for example. In Oklahoma, our community is all too familiar with tornadoes. When these things happen to us it rocks our world. The wake of destruction that is left behind can be overwhelming. There are very few things we can truly control.

The Secret

Want to know a secret to happiness that is not dependent on your situation? It’s about getting down to the basics and not getting distracted by everything else.

• I can control how I respond to the situations this broken world lays at my feet.
• I can control where I put my faith and trust.
• I can control where I spend eternity.

Joshua 24 says: “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”

I have been given a gift, we all have. The gift is life. Life with my family and an opportunity to serve the LORD.  I am very thankful for the gift everyday! Tenaciously hold on to the things you can truly control and be flexible about everything else. Then you will find happiness and joy that is not dependent on your situation.

Christal