New Year New Runner
I went a year without running. It hurt.
On 5th June 2012 I found out that I didn't have chronic fatigue, I have mastocytosis. It's incurable but probably won't bump me off any time soon. Mastocytosis means that I have too many mast cells and mast cells are the bruisers of the body. A few are really useful (like night club bouncers), too many and they develop mob rule.
When mast cells degranulate they release all kinds of nasties into the body:
Preformed mediators (from the granules): serine proteases, such as tryptase histamine (2-5 pg/cell) serotonin proteoglycans, mainly heparin (active as anticoagulant)
Newly formed lipid mediators (eicosanoids): thromboxane prostaglandin D2 leukotriene C4 platelet-activating factor cytokines Eosinophil chemotactic factor
A consequence of this can be a severe allergic reaction. Degranulation can be caused by several things, one of which is running. For other symptoms read through my more recent blog posts! I had been putting the swelling fingers, low blood pressure, dizziness etc down to a million things but it turns out they were all caused by my condition which took a turn for the worse after the Berlin Marathon 2011.
A year and a bit down the line I have been trying - and often failing - to get running again. I have taken to yoga, sometimes in the middle of runs. I run clutching an epipen and wearing an medical ID bracelet. I take ages and ages warming up as I've discovered that the worst thing to do is to take my mast cells by surprise. I listen to my body (I know!). Sometimes I can run, sometimes I can't.
I'm still learning.
Preformed mediators (from the granules): serine proteases, such as tryptase histamine (2-5 pg/cell) serotonin proteoglycans, mainly heparin (active as anticoagulant)
Newly formed lipid mediators (eicosanoids): thromboxane prostaglandin D2 leukotriene C4 platelet-activating factor cytokines Eosinophil chemotactic factor
A consequence of this can be a severe allergic reaction. Degranulation can be caused by several things, one of which is running. For other symptoms read through my more recent blog posts! I had been putting the swelling fingers, low blood pressure, dizziness etc down to a million things but it turns out they were all caused by my condition which took a turn for the worse after the Berlin Marathon 2011.
A year and a bit down the line I have been trying - and often failing - to get running again. I have taken to yoga, sometimes in the middle of runs. I run clutching an epipen and wearing an medical ID bracelet. I take ages and ages warming up as I've discovered that the worst thing to do is to take my mast cells by surprise. I listen to my body (I know!). Sometimes I can run, sometimes I can't.
I'm still learning.
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