My body was swelling daily, Comedian Flaqo opens up

Comedian Erastus Ayieko Otieno, alias Flaqo has opened up about battling a severe health issue that caused him to cancel a number of his gigs. Taking to social media, the comedian shared an appreciation post through Instastories where he revealed that he had been suffering a condition known as hives/urticaria - a skin rash triggered by a reaction to food, medicine, or other irritants.

Flaqo said he had battled the condition for nearly nine years, adding that he barely slept every night as he experienced body discomfort.

"A post to thank God: I had bad allergies (hives/urticaria). Since 2014 bruh. I talked about it 7 months ago, I could not sleep every night due to discomfort," he wrote in part.

Famed for the popular character 'Mama Otis,' Flaqo further disclosed that the condition was so bad that it interrupted his shooting schedule, and thus he could not share content consistently.

"I could not shoot consistently; my body was always swelling daily. I could not go out. I was always cancelling plans," Flaqo added.

Flaqo assured his fans that he is now okay, noting that prayers, taking care of his mental health, and taking life as it comes were crucial ingredients that boosted his recovery. He further revealed that it had been three months since he experienced a single allergic reaction.

"Ever since I took life easy, no stress, pray, mental health checks, the allergies disappeared. It's been 3 months now and no sign of allergy. Attending to your mental health is key man," he concluded.

In a recent interview, Flaqo said he was going through a difficult season, and Bien of Sauti Sol stepped in and connected him to a therapist.

"I was shooting something for Baze and since I was playing all the characters, my brain was constantly working… I hadn't slept for over 72 hours. I called Bien, when I remember the things I told him, I am embarrassed. It's something I've had to overcome over the past one year. I needed to know how to control all these things because I learn as I go. Bien also gave me a therapist's number," he said.

In the same interview, Flaqo said that during the covid-19 period, he made about Sh20 Million.

"I think it (money earned) could be around Sh20 million…I have not been making those calculations but there's a way to check the records…I think it's approximately Sh20 million…that is during that Covid-19 time," he said.