A few weeks ago, we introduced you to Caroline Cray, the 24-year-old woman coping with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) who is so anaphylactic that she can only consume two foods.
You might think a woman with allergies so severe would avoid kissing, but where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Cray has found her way.
Her recent TikTok is instructive in that it shows the extra precautions many with food allergies must take to protect themselves from inadvertent exposure and reactions. In it, she describes the three rules any potential kisser (kissee?) must follow based on feedback from her MCAS specialist:
How do I kiss boys when I can only eat two foods? Great question!
There are three main rules that they have to follow:
Rule number one is that they can’t have any of my six main anaphylactic allergens within 24 hours of kissing me. So, I’ve had food allergies like before I got mast cell activation in 2017. Like I’ve had food allergies since 2001, hence that rule.
And then the second rule is that they can’t eat anything three hours prior to kissing me. So that kind of handles the mast cell activation portion of things where like as we know, I can only eat two foods. So three hours gives the protein like enough time to break down in the saliva.
And then rule number three is that they have to brush their teeth, which I feel like
is a good rule in general. Like, I will also brush my teeth.
Although she’s had a few minor mishaps along the way, we applaud Ms Cray, who has opted to live her life to the fullest despite her difficult allergies. We also appreciate her going public to shed light on MCAS and sharing her coping strategies which will give many insight into the disease.
Here is her full TikTok entitled “Kissing Boys” in its entirety with additional insights:
@carolinecray2 Replying to @j Herz My rules for smooching! 💋 #mcas #mastcellactivationsyndrome #mcad #mastcellactivationdisorder #foodallergyawareness #chronicillnessawareness #chronicillnesswarrior #chronicillness ♬ original sound – CarolineCray2
