Woman thought red, swollen spots that ‘felt like little ants’ for over a decade were allergies — then a cancer specialist found what doctors missed
Living with unexplained health problems for years can make life frustrating and uncertain. For more than a decade, a woman named Misty Segrest believed she was fighting severe allergies because of the red, swollen spots on her skin that "felt like little ants." She dealt with swelling, itching, and rashes that came and went. It wasn’t until she moved to Utah in 2023 and saw a specialist that she finally learned the real reason for her symptoms. As reported by KSL on Sunday, March 8, 2026, her story took a surprising turn when a cancer specialist discovered what other doctors had missed.
The specialist diagnosed her with a rare disorder called systemic mastocytosis. This condition affects an estimated 1 in 10,000 to 20,000 people and is caused by too many mast cells in the body. Mast cells are part of the immune system and help the body respond to threats, but when there are too many of them, they can cause reactions all over the body, according to Mayo Clinic. Cancer specialist, Dr. Tsewang Tashi, explained how this disease can trigger many symptoms that are very similar to allergies, and that it is often overlooked, leading to delays in diagnosis.
For years, Segrest suffered without a clear answer. “It first started with these little red spots just showing up everywhere,” she said. “It would feel like little ants — they would swell up like little hives all over my body, and it was horrible.” She added that she had gone to doctors on and off throughout the years, and nobody could give her an answer. Many people with unexplained symptoms know how discouraging that can feel, especially when all they hear is that it must be allergies.
When she finally met Dr. Tashi at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, she felt hope for the first time in years. According to him, many patients go many years before getting a correct diagnosis. He said that telling patients “It’s not all in your head!” and identifying the real condition can bring huge relief. Learning what was really causing her symptoms changed Segrest’s life. "Not quite a year, but it has really changed my life!" she told Fox 13.
The correct diagnosis also opened the door to real treatment. Segrest said there were many tests and scans she had to go through to reach this point, but it was worth it. “It was an absolute relief to know what I actually had all this time,” she said. She is now on the medication Ayvakit, which has begun to relieve many of her symptoms. With treatment and the right care, she is finally able to manage many of the issues that had troubled her for so long.
Segrest hopes her story encourages others with unexplained health issues to keep looking for solutions. “You can’t give up, you got to keep trying and keep trying,” she advised. She no longer feels self-conscious about how pronounced those red spots were, and says the quality of her life is much better now. Her experience shows how important it can be to keep looking for the cause of persistent symptoms, even when the answer takes time and patience to find.
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