About Me

I’m Chris. A string-bowing, pixel-pushing creative type with a love of words and an unhealthy obsession with artisan coffee. Decaf, of course.

Chris with rubber bands on his face.

Chances are, you’re reading this because you or someone you know has unwillingly entered into the world of mast cells. Whether you deem these particular cells a miracle of evolution, the devil incarnate or are, as yet, undecided, I hope you find your time here illuminating …or at the very least, amusing.

I created M. // to provide you with the honest, unfiltered information about Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Mast Cell Disease that I never had, but desperately needed during my own diagnosis. Crucially, information that isn’t sanitised for medical discussion but, instead, embraces the chaos, messiness and raw emotions that inevitably accompany these conditions in real life.

M. // is about mast cells, medicine, relaxation, contemplation and everything in-between. Whether you have a mast cell disease or an associated condition yourself, or care for someone who does, I hope you find something here that helps you feel a little lighter.

Evidence-based

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome is still classified as a newly recognised disease. This means the robust scientific and medical evidence Doctors typically like to rely on is a little thin on the ground at present. There is, however, a pretty sizeable pool of smaller scale investigations, case studies, clinical observations and expert opinions they can draw upon to help make sense of mast cell diseases.

I’m an evidence-based scientist and former Public Health Nutritionist (who happens to have MCAS) and while the perfect, indisputable evidence we’d all like to see doesn’t yet exist, I’ll always do my best to direct you to the best sources of credible information I can find - and highlight where they might be lacking.

Just so you know…

Being able to talk openly and honestly about MCAS and everything associated with it really matters to me.

I’m nobody’s shill

I don’t accept affiliate links or write paid reviews. If I recommend a product or service and provide a link to it, it’s because I genuinely think it might be interesting or useful to you, not because somebody paid me to.

I’ll decline a freebie

A freebie can be just as influential as a payment. While I’m open to reviewing products and services on behalf of the MCAS community - I’ll only do so if those products are returned and services ended after the review.

Paywalls aren’t really my thing

I’m fortunate that I’ve managed to cling on to my day job despite having MCAS. This gives me the freedom to research and create content without the need to charge for it. Happy days.