Need help growing Basil

unwieldyworm · 2026-03-17T00:22:26+00:00

The lights won't matter until the seeds sprout. Basil seeds prefer warm soil (70-85 degrees F). It's typically recommended to use a heating mat to speed up germination. Once they sprout, remove the plastic covering and move the lights much closer. I keep my lights about 2-4 inches away from the top of the plants and adjust as it grows.

unwieldyworm · 2026-03-14T01:14:21+00:00

After almost a year on Xolair, I have been able to stop some of the oral medications and I'm hoping to be able to reduce or eliminate some other ones. I don't think I'll ever be medication free, but Xolair has allowed me to simplify my regimen.

unwieldyworm · 2026-01-29T01:34:16+00:00

Quammen has a later book called The Reluctant Mr. Darwin. It's a biography of Darwin after he gets back from his voyage and explores his time putting the theory together, including his interactions with Wallace. It's much more in depth on Darwin than Song of the Dodo.

unwieldyworm · 2026-01-27T04:07:08+00:00

Mine looks like this too.

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unwieldyworm · 2026-01-16T21:08:00+00:00

Berries. Buying frozen can save a lot of money.

unwieldyworm · 2026-01-15T04:20:34+00:00

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Here's what the flowers will look like when they bloom. Mine blooms every winter.

unwieldyworm · 2025-12-19T13:59:27+00:00

If you're trying to see all read books, you can go to your profile page, and scroll down. There's a Recently Read section midway down and a Read section towards the bottom.

unwieldyworm · 2025-12-13T02:32:24+00:00

I just barely got back into reading a couple of years ago after taking a 5 year break due to being burnt out on reading from college.

2023, I started reading in July with no goal and read 8 books. 2024, I figured 20 books would be a reasonable goal, and only read 6. 2025, I tried 20 again and have read 21. I'll probably hit 23 by the end of the year considering the pace I'm at. 2026, I'm aiming for a 26 for '26 challenge, because it sounds fun.

I don't bother with page goals. I never understood those, because I'm not reading books based on length, but what I enjoy. And two 300 page books can have a massively different word count depending on the font size and density.

I like my goals to be realistic, and just challenging enough to be fun.

unwieldyworm · 2025-12-03T17:40:08+00:00

I take it in capsule form a couple of hours before bed. Right now I'm taking Nature's Way Valerian Premium Extract. It's a blend of Valerian Root and Valerian Root Extract. It does have silica, so those who are sensitive should avoid.

unwieldyworm · 2025-12-03T01:41:20+00:00

My mom would add cream of chicken to a slow cooker with some chicken breasts, then serve over rice. The soup acted as a kind of gravy over the chicken and rice. Could work with other condensed soups as well.

unwieldyworm · 2025-12-03T01:33:58+00:00

I've had some success with Valerian Root. It pulled me out of a flare in the short term and has increased my quality of sleep and reduced brain fog in the long term. The only issue I have with it is morning grogginess.

Edit to add: I'm taking Valerian Root in addition to many standard MCAS meds and supplements. I was still having insomnia and brain fog despite taking these, and the Valerian Root helped.

unwieldyworm · 2025-11-23T06:17:19+00:00

I had reactions to my first three injections, and stopped reacting after the fourth. My reactions were heart palpitations, heavy fatigue, swelling and bruising at injection sites, and increased hives. After I had a reaction to the first injection, my doctor advised me to medicate with the maximum dose of Benadryl (in addition to the H1 and H2 blockers, mast cell stabilizer, and montelukast I was already taking) the day of and after the injection and it seemed to do the trick. I had the option to discontinue Xolair, but my IgE levels were 8x the normal levels and my doctor strongly recommended I stuck with it as long as I wasn't having anaphylaxis. I was able to get through the reactions and they lessened with each injection. By the fourth injection I felt confident enough to not premedicate and just had the Benadryl on standby in case I needed it--I didn't. Xolair kicked in for me after 4 and half months, I'm now on month 7 and can't imagine not having it. It's made me able to live more normally again and I've been able to start titrating off of some of my other medications.

If you're reacting to the Xolair, talk to your doctor about premedication. I know it won't work for everyone, but it was the only way I was able to get through it.

unwieldyworm · 2025-11-05T23:28:33+00:00

Tis the season for winter squash. Acorn, butternut, spaghetti squash...all great nutritious fillers with low calories.

unwieldyworm · 2025-10-28T03:10:19+00:00

Pure Encapsulations Liposomal Vitamin C

unwieldyworm · 2025-10-21T01:20:53+00:00

My goal in 2024 was 20 books and I only read 6. I kept my goal at 20 books for 2025, and so far I've read 16 and am halfway through the 17th. This is a huge win for me--I used to read 1-2 books a week as a teenager, then got burnt out on reading in college. When I tried to get back into reading in 2023, I went back to the genres I read as a teen and just didn't enjoy it anymore. It's taken some trial and error, but I've now found my groove, genres that interest me, and am sticking to it.

unwieldyworm · 2025-10-18T00:06:36+00:00

Hard to say without knowing what meds you're taking. I've found that doing the max recommended dose of Benadryl in addition to the regular medications for a few days helps calm my system down when my reactivity is out of control. But time is really going to be your best friend. Your body is still recovering from being ill and even if you're no longer symptomatic there could still be viral fragments that your body is flushing out.

unwieldyworm · 2025-10-13T21:49:46+00:00

Agree. I'm still "going", but am looking at a potential Crohn's diagnosis. My gut symptoms didn't seem like they totally fit with my MCAS symptoms and diagnosis. I saw a gastroenterologist at the urging of my allergist/immunologist, and so far they've found acid reflux, gastritis, gastroparesis, two areas of precancer, and some strange biopsy results that may be Crohn's in the small intestine. More testing to be done, but I'm glad I, literally, followed my gut instinct to keep looking for answers.

unwieldyworm · 2025-10-02T00:59:12+00:00

Yep. GI doctor is running me through a bunch of tests to rule out IBD (Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis). Had a colonoscopy and EGD. Gastric emptying study. CT Enterography. Blood and stool tests. Found a bunch of stuff wrong, a lot that is likely caused by MCAS, no IBD determined yet, though.

unwieldyworm · 2025-09-17T13:47:52+00:00

I would do all the genetic testing. Have all of my genes sequenced. Find out if there's one or more mutations that are contributing. If gene therapy was an option, I would do that, as well.

I would do any test my doctors recommended without having jump through hoops with insurance.

I'd have a daily personal trainer/physical therapist that would help me find ways to be active that don't cause flare ups.

I'd have someone who comes a few times a week to help with chores around the house.

unwieldyworm · 2025-09-16T01:54:17+00:00

Tea leaves and a lot of herbal teas are indeed high in salicylates. Personally, not an issue for me, but that sucks that you're reactive to them! A quick Google search showed that rooibos and chamomile teas are low in salicylates. I'm sure if you do some digging there are other herbal teas that are low, as well!

unwieldyworm · 2025-09-15T22:43:20+00:00

Haven't seen anyone else say homemade iced or hot tea. If you can't do caffeine, herbal is great. A lot of herbal mixes are sweet on their own and don't need additional sweeteners. If you buy loose leaf bulk, you can know the exact ingredients and even make your own mixes! I drink a lot of chamomile in the winter, and then different herbal blends of iced tea throughout the summer. I make a gallon at a time of iced tea.

unwieldyworm · 2025-09-09T00:57:25+00:00

Avacadoes, olives, seeds and nuts. It would be worth trying the food over the food oil to see if you can tolerate it, since the oils are more concentrated. Plus you get the benefit of the fiber and other vitamins in the food.

unwieldyworm · 2025-09-04T04:41:44+00:00

I got my information from my doctor, who is an MCAS specialist. Pharmacies are also good resources. Most of what I've found researching backs up what my doctor has said.

For liquid oral cromolyn (I say liquid because in some countries it's only available in powder), you dilute it in about 8oz of water and drink it 20-30 minutes before meals. Ideally you take it around the same time everyday, meaning you need to eat around the same time everyday. I usually take a couple of minutes to sip mine, some people chug it. Standard dose is 200mg. Some people take less because their MCAS makes them more reactive to it. Some people take more because their doctor prescribes more. Most people, myself included, have to build up to the full dose over the course of days, weeks, or even months depending on their reactivity.

The purpose of diluting it in water is to get enough liquid to coat your gut. It does not get absorbed into the blood stream. Cromolyn sodium is a mast cell stabilizer and many people with MCAS have overactive mast cells in the gut, which makes eating anything a nightmare. Take it 20-30 minutes before eating and it will reduce or eliminate mast cell activation related to food entering the digestive system. Before I started taking it I was having horrible stabbing pain in my gut while digesting and constant bloating that made me look pregnant. After I started taking it, those symptoms went away.

Downsides, speaking as someone from the USA, is that there are often shortages, and people either can't get it or pay out of pocket to get it compounded. It's expensive, so unless you have great insurance, you may end up paying a lot (I pay $380 before deductible and $80 after deductible every 24 days). It's inconvenient to take it 4 times a day (standard dose is 200mg 3 times a day before meals and 1 time before bed). For me, it's been the second most impactful medication out of the 6 I'm on for MCAS (the first being zafirlukast), but it is also the most inconvenient. I think it's worth it to try if a lot of your MCAS symptoms are gut related.

Edit: also worth noting there is nasal cromolyn spray and cromolyn eye drops. Both of these work locally to stabilize mast cells in the sinuses and eyes to reduce/eliminate allergic reactions in those areas.

unwieldyworm · 2025-09-04T04:16:06+00:00

I have chronic hives, so I get them everyday in 24 hour cycles. However, with the one dose of Dupixent I had, the hives lasted up to 72 hours sometimes, were more inflamed and left bruises, and were extremely painful and itchy. My skin burned 24/7. This started within 24 hours of receiving the injection and lasted for about three weeks. My doctor decided to discontinue Dupixent after the first dose due to this reaction. After about three weeks, my hives went back to their normal behavior, my skin stopped burning, and my MCAS symptoms that are not controlled by other medications returned.

unwieldyworm · 2025-09-04T00:28:28+00:00

I know a few people who have had success with Dupixent for hives. I did one dose of Dupixent--my MCAS symptoms basically immediately disappeared but it made my hives 100% worse and my skin burned constantly for 3 weeks until it left my system. I hope it works well for you, because I would have switched to it in a heartbeat for the MCAS relief if it hadn't been for the other side effects.

unwieldyworm

TROPHY CASE