A Decade-Long Search for Answers Brings Hope in Salt Lake City
A Decade-Long Search for Answers Brings Hope in Salt Lake City
With expertise and persistence, Dr. Tsewang Tashi helped turn a decade of unanswered symptoms into a life-changing diagnosis for one Salt Lake City woman.
For more than 10 years, Salt Lake City resident Mistry Segrest suffered through unexplained, painful skin reactions that left her with swelling, intense itching, and red rashes. Doctors repeatedly told her that she was simply dealing with severe allergies, but treatments and referrals to specialists across California brought no answers — and no relief.
“I felt like I had a million ants crawling all over me,” Mistry shared, recalling years of discomfort and confusion. Despite seeing allergists and dermatologists, she was never given a clear diagnosis — until a move to Utah changed everything.
In 2023, Mistry was referred to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, where hematologist Dr. Tsewang Tashi took a closer look. Using new diagnostic tools and his expertise in blood-related conditions, Dr. Tashi identified what had long been missed: Mastocytosis, a rare disease that affects about one in 10,000 people.
While the diagnosis — a type of cancer involving abnormal mast cell activity — was shocking, Mistry describes it as a huge relief. “It’s not all in your head,” Dr. Tashi told her. For the first time, she had a name for what she was battling and a treatment plan that made a difference.
Today, Mistry’s rash is mostly gone, and she’s managing her condition with medication. What once was a decade of unanswered suffering has become a story of perseverance, proper diagnosis, and hope for others facing mysterious chronic symptoms.
