resources & thought-provoking ideas for flexible folk

Most of the posts on this blog start with hEDS as the baseline and expand outward to include MCAS and/or dysautonomia. In this one, I’m centering MCAS. Spring season brings its challenges for everyone, but when you’re a mastie? Spring can be particularly and specifically extra difficult for those of us with MCAS. This…

The word paresis is of Greek origin and it indicates letting go of or weakening or slackness of muscle. It refers to partial paralysis rather than a complete stopping of movement (paralysis). When this word describes what’s going on with a person’s digestive system, it is a problem indeed. Gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying)…

How do you articulate your experience? Yes, this is a loaded question. If you read it and thought of your joints, your articulations, then you read it just fine. If you went to the implication of verbalizing, you are also correct. Even so, for the purposes of this blog post, I will focus…

Every season is nested into a context and has its own associations. What do you think about when you ponder winter season? Holidays, colder weather, the space in between fall and spring…? In my practice, about 80% of my EDS, MCAS, and/or POTS patients see winter through the lens of icy hands and feet…

Astragalus… you may have heard of it. If you have EDS and/or MCAS and are familiar with the supplement options popular within the community, you probably have tried it too. Astragalus grows in China, Mongolia, and North Korea and is a beloved herb in Asian tradition. Its Chinese name is huángqi (alternate spelling: huáng…

Have you ever considered trying red light therapy (RLT) or were you wondering about whether or not a vibration plate might be beneficial? These are two popular tools used for mood support, skincare, wound healing, and pain reduction (RLT) and for lymphatic drainage, bone density support, and muscle stimulation (the plate). You can go…

Acupuncture and other modalities of Chinese medicine can be an excellent resource for people with complex disorders, EDS and the common comorbidities included. But do you know how to get the most out of your treatment when you’re complicated? What happens when you are experiencing pain AND mast cells flares AND gastroparesis AND insomnia…

Have you ever wondered about cosmetic acupuncture? Common questions from anyone, whether a normie or a zebra, relate to things like whether or not it’s safe and if it’s worth the investment. We all want to know about that before we plunk down our payment for services rendered. But being a member of the…

Have you ever thought about the difference between mindful eating and intuitive eating? They are not the same thing, but both can be helpful approaches to nutrition when a person lives with EDS, MCAS, and/or POTS. Especially when a person is limited in what they can eat, an intentional view can soften the hard edges…

I seriously almost titled this essay “girding your loins for the holidays when you have MCAS.” It kind of does feel like being thrown onto an obstacle course where you have to battle your way from point one (early November) to the finish line (the first week of January), doesn’t it?