A woman who is “allergic to everything” can only eat these two things

A Massachusetts woman says she’s “allergic to everything” and eats oatmeal and hypoallergenic formula, but is still able to make the most of it and have a great holiday season.

Caroline Cray, 24, first had an allergic reaction to ice cream in September 2017 and went into anaphylactic shock, she told SWNS.

Soon after, she had a similar reaction to bread and pizza, then had a severe reaction after eating rice and beans and spent 12 days in intensive care.

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At first, doctors hoped it would go away.

“In the fall (2017) when I suffered the repeated shocks, my allergist and emergency room doctors assumed my reactions would only last a few months,” she told SWNS.

Caroline Cray spent 12 days in intensive care after suffering a severe allergic reaction to eating beans and rice. (SWNS)

Doctors prescribed antihistamines and referred her to a specialist, she said.

The response didn’t let up, which she said was “really disheartening.”

“Every day I wondered if I would end up in the hospital. I had a really tight throat, itching and wheezing,” she said.

After nearly a year of testing, Cray was diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), a rare chronic disease, in May 2018. MCAS causes repeated severe allergic reaction symptoms, she told SWNS.

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Getting the diagnosis was emotional, she said, but also “validating.”

“I’m a very depressed and dry person, but me and my mother Julie, 59, were both crying,” she said. “It was a confirmation that someone finally said, ‘This is a chronic illness and we need to treat it as such.'”

Caroline Cray, 24, from Massachusetts, has a rare condition and can only safely eat two different foods. (SWNS)

She felt a mixture of relief that her condition had a name while grappling with the thought, “Oh God, I’m going to live with this for the rest of my life.”

Six years after her diagnosis, she can only eat two things – oatmeal and special formula.

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“I’m at the point where my diet is just EleCare and oatmeal,” she said, referring to a particular brand of hypoallergenic infant formula.

“I’m going to eat this three meals a day, and I only eat three times a day because I have to self-medicate beforehand,” she said, adding that it was “really difficult.”

It took doctors 10 months to diagnose Cray with MCAS, a condition that causes her to have severe allergic reactions to food. (iStock)

In addition, Cray takes a variety of medications, including some daily, weekly, and semi-monthly.

Despite her food restrictions and limited diet, Cray tries to act as normal as possible, even around the holidays.

“But I’m not ruling myself out,” she told SWNS, adding that she has dinner with her family in the evening.

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“I’m going out to eat, but I’m bringing my own food. And in the evening I go out and take a water bottle with me,” she said, adding that she is “always the responsible driver” and is able to “educate people” about what happened the night before.

“I’ve made this one of my favorite things to do,” Cray told SWNS. “I tell my friends I get secondhand drunk from them.”

“I go out to eat, but I bring my own food. And in the evening I go out and take a water bottle with me.”

To better accommodate her condition, Cray hosts Thanksgiving and Christmas at her home.

“For the first few years after my diagnosis, I didn’t want to eat in front of others,” she said.

“It’s certainly difficult because food is central to the Christmas season, but there are many factors that make me feel included in the Christmas ritual.”

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Caroline Cray, second from left, with her siblings. She told SWNS that she feels more involved at Christmas because it’s less about food and more about Thanksgiving. (SWNS)

Now Cray hopes to expand her diet beyond oatmeal and formula.

“This is my fifth year of being on the oatmeal diet and it’s tough,” she told SWNS. “I would be lying if I said I don’t fight, because I do.

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“I’m currently meeting with my MCAS therapist to try different foods,” she said. But nothing has helped so far, she has even tried eating chicken, lamb, sweet potatoes and broccoli.

“I try individual foods one at a time so that if we have a reaction, we know exactly what to look for,” she said.

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