Here is day four of the continuation of my journey backpacking the SHT.
As a person with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) I’ve taken up the challenge to backpack the 300-mile Superior Hiking Trail.
Table of Contents
Who is Betsy Leighton?
I’m a writer, blogger, and healer dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with their innate peace and wholeness by healing nervous system dysregulation. My personal experience with chronic illness called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) shapes my work, and my content offers tools to empower those with chronic illness to improve their well-being and take charge of their health.
I created the Sacred Self-Healing Method and am a trained and certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider, an author, blogger, and A Course in Miracles Teacher. I hold a Master of Divinity in Spiritual Counseling and am a trained spiritual mentor, with certificates in sound healing, aromatherapy, nutrition, and Sacred Deathcare. I offer a self-study certificate program in the Sacred Self-Healing Method, provide spiritual counseling and coaching, courses, and supported subscriptions for the Safe and Sound Protocol.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. It can cause severe, disabling symptoms every day, including potentially fatal anaphylaxis.
The common triggers for MCAS are infections, toxic exposures including mold exposure and EMFs, trauma, concussions, and stress.
MCAS often occurs with other chronic conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Managing MCAS is challenging because many healthcare providers are unaware of it, and diagnostic tests can be unreliable. Treatments include antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers in the form of medications and supplements, along with avoiding triggers. Check out this post on managing MCAS.
Back on the trail!
I am back on the North Shore and starting on a 4-day backpack along the Superior Hiking Trail! I parked my car at the Pincushion Mountain trailhead and caught a ride to the Western end of the Lakewalk, where I left off a couple of weeks ago. I filled up my water reservoir in Lake Superior and asked for a blessing from the mother lake for my walk.
Stepping onto the trail was a rude awakening. On my first step off the road, I needed to wade through a ten-foot expanse of mid-calf-deep muddy water. So much for dry shoes!
Rain, Rain, Rain
It was early afternoon, and I knew from the weather forecast that rain was expected around 3 p.m. I immediately heard thunder to the South as I hiked up, up, up the slope to the ridge. The thunder continued for an hour or so until it started raining.
On that first day’s walk, I only saw one other woman on the trail with her snarling dog. She had seen bear signs and was on edge, and her dog seemed stressed, too. I stepped off the trail to let them pass, and from then on, I loudly called out my Qi Gong power phrase, “How La!” every ten seconds or so to alert any bears in the vicinity to my presence.
And downpour
I delayed putting on my rain gear until the last minute because it was so hot and muggy. But I was glad to have it as soon as the downpour started. I walked in the rain with my ultralight umbrella over my head for another hour until I reached my planned campsite at Crow Creek, around three miles in.
After I climbed the spur to the campsite, I stood under a dripping tree for another 45 minutes while it continued to pour rain. Finally, I saw a brief break in the weather and set up my tent. It had rained so hard that everything in my backpack was damp despite my pack liner and umbrella. I have to admit it was pretty miserable, and I almost cried for a minute.
Reading to pass the time
I’d downloaded the book “The Hobbit” to my phone’s books app and commenced reading. I’d never read it before, and it was an engrossing and fun read; Baggins’ journey paralleled my adventure (minus the trolls and giants). And reading was a good way to pass a rainy evening.
Also, bugs
The forest was beautiful and peaceful despite the rain. The mosquitoes, however, were insane. Many of them aggressively barged into the tent whenever I dashed in or out, and all night, around one hundred of them were perched on the screen door of my tent, droning a constant buzz and watching me.
I was so glad to have my bug suit! It was an absolute lifesaver on the trail. I’d accidentally made the mitts too small, though, so they rested on my skin, allowing the bugs easy access. I didn’t end up using them. My lightweight running mitts worked much better at deterring the bugs.
More wet
I’m thankful for a friend’s advice to pack extra socks, which felt heavenly at bedtime. It continued to rain all night, so when I packed up my gear in the morning, it was a sodden mess, and it was back to wet feet as soon as I put on my wet shoes.
The bucket theory
The bucket theory simplifies understanding symptom reactions with MCAS. Imagine your body as an empty bucket you don’t want to overflow. Reactions to various stimuli fill the histamine bucket at different rates, forming the total histamine level (how full your bucket is). More histamine means more symptoms. By managing triggers, reducing exposures, and taking medications and supplements, you can control your bucket’s level.
Know your typical symptom progression
Understanding your symptom progression during a flare is key to developing your rescue plan. This post discusses how to recognize symptom progression so you can be prepared to address them.
Get my free ebook, symptom log, and meal plan!
Want a tool to easily track your symptoms?
Check out these circadian health tools!
I’m an affiliate with Bon Charge, a company that makes tools for circadian health, and you can receive 15% off your order with my coupon code BETSYL.
Bon Charge offers tools such as yellow– and red-tone blue-blocking glasses, red light therapy devices, PEMF mats, infrared saunas, and EMF-blocking products.
Sign up for the SSP!
I’ve found the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to be the most helpful bottom-up healing strategy if your nervous system has been overloaded with toxic exposures, including mold or non-native EMFs, chronic infections, concussions, stress, or trauma. The SSP is a passive listening therapy that helps heal nervous system dysregulation. Many people with MCAS and other chronic conditions have nervous system dysregulation stemming from infections, toxic exposures, concussions, and trauma. The SSP is an easy-to-use app that lets you listen to specially filtered music for 30 minutes each day as part of a 5-hour cycle. Studies show the SSP has a profound effect on mental health and chronic conditions. Here’s a short podcast describing the Safe and Sound Protocol.
You can sign up for the SSP here!
Heal your mind!
While the SSP is a bottom-up, somatic therapy for healing the nervous system, the Sacred Self-Healing Method I offer is a top-down nervous system-healing modality that focuses on cognition, attention, perception, and emotion, using the mind’s higher functions. The SSP and the Sacred Self-Healing Method complement each other and together produce lasting results. Here’s a short podcast on my self-healing practice.
I provide one-on-one in-person and remote chronic illness and caregiver coaching, as well as Sacred Self-Healing Sessions based on the Sacred Self-Healing Method, a proven, novel co-creative healing modality detailed in my Books.
Order my books!
Here’s a short podcast highlighting my five books.
My latest book, Living In The Light: Healing with Forgiveness, Sound, and Light, is all about the tools that have been most helpful for me to heal: forgiveness, sound, through nervous system retraining using the Safe and Sound Protocol, and light, through entraining my circadian rhythm with the energy of the sun. Living In The Light is available here!
Rocks and Roots chronicles my solo backpacking journey on the Superior Hiking Trail and my efforts to overcome nervous system dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms to complete the 328-mile hike successfully.
The Sacred Self-Healing Method ebook is available here and in most ebook retailers!
The Sacred Self-Healing Workbook is available for purchase here!
Betsy’s first book, Sacred Self-Healing: Finding Peace Through Forgiveness, is available here
Companion Recordings
The companion audio recordings of chants, guided meditations, and sound healing demonstrations that accompany the Sacred Self-Healing Method are available for free on my YouTube channel here
What do you think?
I’d love to have your reply below!
Disclaimer
The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure, or treatment.
