Jenna Gestetner is a 20 year old girl who is only able to eat turkey, mahi mahi, cucumber, green beans, zucchini, olive oil, salt, lime and glucose supplements.
Jenna has been allergic to several food items since she was a child and gradually over the years she realized that eliminating the reactive foods was the only solution.
On January 16, she shared a video of her shopping grocery where she revealed the food items she can eat. "I can only eat 9 foods, so this is what it is like for me to go grocery shopping with so many allergies," she has captioned the video.
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
In March 2021, Jenna was diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or the MCAS.
MCAS disorder happens when the mast cells of the body cause frequent allergy reactions in the body.
As per the US Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center: In MCAS, mast cells mistakenly release too many chemical agents, resulting in symptoms in the skin, gastrointestinal tract, heart, respiratory, and neurologic systems. Mast cells are present throughout most of our bodies and secrete different chemicals during allergic reactions.
People with MCAS have an increased risk of life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
What are the symptoms?
Jenna experienced persistent signs like abdominal pain, bloating and nausea which were mostly started after eating.
The common symptoms associated with MCAS are: episodes of stomach pain, cramping, diarrhea, flushing, itching, wheezing, coughing, lightheadedness and rapid pulse and low blood pressure.
Jenna says she has been experiencing the symptoms of MCAS from her childhood, but it was detected in 2021 through urine and blood tests.
"I was always the kid that had issues and it always sounded like an excuse. Eventually, I just stopped telling people that anything was wrong. My parents knew about my struggles, but they didn’t know all the details — when they found out that I got diagnosed, it shocked them," she told the Daily Mail.
"It has been a mixed experience"
On dealing with the condition, Jenna told the media that because of the diet she feeds herself six times a day in order to not miss nutritional deficiency.
Though she misses going to restaurants with her friends, she is happy because it takes her only 3 minutes to shop her grocery.
Jenna is currently studying Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation at the University of Southern California.
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