When I was so ill with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance, there were many days that I literally wasn’t sure I would live. 

For years I had to hobble around with a cane because of excruciating joint pain.

The pain was so bad I couldn’t even snuggle up with my husband.

I couldn’t sleep. I could barely eat.

For a while, I felt alone and hopeless.

Can you relate?

If you are facing challenges right now, I want you to know that there is hope. And I want you to know you aren’t alone.

Having a supportive community got me through some really tough times. They offered me kindness and understanding. 

And they gave me hope.

If you are looking for community support and need some encouraging words, keep reading. 

I’ll also tell you about a practice I’ve been doing for years that helped keep my spirits up and keep me optimistic. 

A Community for Those with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance

One of the biggest things that kept me going was community.

I was so lucky to find a small group of women on Facebook who were dealing with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance like I was.

It made a huge difference just knowing I wasn’t the only one dealing with these things.

That community of women gave me so much more, though. They encouraged me to keep going each and every time I wanted to give up. 

They offered me so much kindness and support that I eventually began to have hope.

That made such a difference. 

Every one of them will always be near and dear to my heart for this.

I want this for you, too! I want you to know there is hope…and I want you to know that you have a compassionate community for support.

The Mast Cell 360 community has been, and continues to be, absolutely incredible. I thank each of you for making this community so warm and supportive.

Every time you reach out to share your experiences on the blog or on Facebook, your words let others know they aren’t alone.

We now have over 20,000 amazing people in our Mast Cell 360 Facebook community. 

If you haven’t been to the page yet, I hope you’ll check it out.

Click the link below and then click ‘Follow’ on our page to join the community:

>>> Join the Mast Cell 360 Facebook Community Page

I’ve seen so much warmth, encouragement, support, and even good humor come from the group of people there.

We gather almost weekly to discuss MCAS information in Facebook Lives, too. I have details for you about joining me for those next.

Facebook Lives

MCAS comes with lots of questions! So, I started a gathering each week to discuss some of that information as a community.

If you are available on Tuesdays at 1pm eastern standard time (US), you can join us for these free Facebook Live conversations.

And, if you can’t join us live, you can always catch the replays here.

We talk about a variety of topics related to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance. And we usually have a live Q&A, too.

And we share our experiences—both our challenges and successes.

For updates and reminders on the free Facebook Lives, click the link below and ‘Follow’ the Mast Cell 360 page.

>>> Follow Mast Cell 360 for updates on free Facebook Lives

On top of that, our community has been posting lovely pick-me-up messages for each other through our Mast Cell 360 Hugs with Your Words Project.

Read more about that next.

Hugs with Your Words Project

Anytime you need a boost, you can go to the Hugs With Your Words page. You’ll find supportive messages from others with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

And I have always found that saying something kind to someone else uplifted me. Even on my darkest days.

It’s been shown that acts of kindness can boost the mood of the giver, too!

Messages can be as simple as, “You’ve Got This!”

Or you might want to share part of your journey to inspire others to keep going.

Maybe you have a favorite quote that gives you strength that you would like to share. 

All of those messages can make a difference!

You can get your pick-me-up and leave kind words for others here:

>>> Participate in the Mast Cell 360 Hugs with Your Words Project

Having a supportive community really helped me. And there was another practice I did on my own that helped, too. 

This practice helped me have the courage, strength, and perseverance to keep healing. It’s called the Dream Jar.

It helped me so much that I never stopped doing it!

The Dream Jar

The Dream Jar holds your hopes and dreams.

This practice starts out simply enough. Find a jar that will hold at least 50 little slips of paper. Easy, right?

Now, throughout the year, you’ll write down your hopes and dreams on slips of paper and put them in your Dream Jar.

Here’s what my practice looks like.

I write down both little, achievable dreams and bigger, long-term dreams. Both are very important.

In the past, some of my little dreams were:

I dream to be able to snuggle up with my husband for 5 minutes.

I dream to be able to eat 1 more food.

I dream to be able to have a little less anxiety.

I dream to get one good night’s rest.

Some of my bigger, long-term dreams have been:

I dream to be able to eat in a restaurant and not bring my own food.

I dream to be able to go back to graduate school.

I dream to build my healthcare practice.

I add one dream to the jar each week.

I write it out then fold the paper slip in half. I love using bright, colorful paper. It’s a little thing, but it brings me so much joy!

Then, I reflect on what I wrote for a few moments. When I feel like I’m holding the dream in my heart, I put the paper in the jar.

It is an emotional and spiritual practice for me. During my toughest times, it kept my hopes up in a big way.

I use a pretty raku jar I bought from a pottery shop and colorful paper strips.

You can use anything you want to hold these messages! A mason jar, a box, or something like this Notes of Love jar:

Opening Your Dream Jar

After one year, you’ll revisit the dreams in your Dream Jar.

I do this on New Year’s Day each year. But you can pick any day you want.

I take the papers out of the Dream Jar and open them one by one. If that dream came true, I celebrate with joy.

If that dream didn’t come true yet, I hold it to my heart with hope and optimism, and I place it back in the jar.

So, that’s how I do the Dream Jar practice. But you can change it up however you like to meet your own needs.

Last year, some of the Mast Cell 360 community shared what they were putting into their Dream Jars.

• Drink more water!
• Finally live in a mold-free apartment of my own
• Feel like my breathing is stronger and healthier
• Go on vacation with my family and not have many reactions
• Go to Kenya to meet my granddaughter 
• Lifted brain fog for better communication with my family
• Add more foods back into my diet

If these were your dreams, I hope they came true.

And for everyone out there, just remember—you aren’t alone.

Keep hope in your heart!

Compassionate Community
And
Keeping Your Hope Alive

Having a supportive community and keeping hope alive were the 2 major things that kept me going so I could heal.

I see this in my clients who make it through, too.

This is why I want to invite you to:

1. Join our Mast Cell 360 Facebook Community
2. Read and add your words to our Mast Cell 360 Hugs with Your Words Project
3. Start a Dream Jar and write your dreams down – Keep your hope alive!

Wishing you all the best.

More Encouragement for You

• Getting Back to Living Your Dreams
• Using Gratitude to Calm Mast Cells
• Pain in Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance
• Healthy Resolutions for MCAS
• Mast Cell 360 Hugs with Our Words Project

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References

Siegle, L.P.C., S. (2020, May 29). The art of kindness. Mayo Clinic Health System. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/the-art-of-kindness