The good news, mast cell leukemia is very rare according to the research I’ve read. My breathing gets bad to the point that I am sitting in he ground trying to get a breath in during my tennis lessons. I’m good for a few months then I will get a “flare” and I would have to use my rescue inhaler 3-4 times in a one hour lesson. I haven’t let it stop me. However I just partially tore my Achilles’ tendon, most likely secondary to side effects of meds I’ve been on, like prednisone, Celebrex and Cipro. So it’s always one thing after another but I am not willing to let it stop me from doing things that were and are really a part of me — we are a really active family. I learned to snowboard two years ago even though cold often makes my breathing worse. I have doctors that understand that sports are a huge part of who I am and they help me stay as active as possible. I think it’s part of stubbornness (I like to call strong will 🙂 ) that keeps me going. Although sometimes i pay the price, but every athlete does. Ours is just diffferent.