- Misty Segrest’s allergy-like symptoms were diagnosed as systemic mastocytosis, a rare disease.
- Dr. Tsewang Tashi from Huntsman Cancer Institute identified the disorder.
- Targeted therapies like Ayvakit have improved Segrest’s symptoms, enhancing her quality of life.
SALT LAKE CITY — For years, Misty Segrest thought she was battling severe allergies.
“It first started with these little red spots just showing up everywhere. It would feel like little ants — they would swell up like little hives all over my body, and it was horrible,” she said. “I had gone to doctors on and off throughout the years, and nobody could give me an answer.”
After more than a decade, she was referred to Dr. Tsewang Tashi, a hematologist at Huntsman Cancer Institute, who discovered the real cause: a rare disorder called systemic mastocytosis, which affects an estimated 1 in 10,000 to 20,000 individuals…