I developed a rare disease because of my allergies that took over my life

• Caroline Cray, 24, was diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome in 2018
• She began battling severe food allergies when she was two years old.
• Healthcare recruiter first discussed illness in TikTok video

A healthcare recruiter who struggles with severe food allergies continues to go viral after sharing the truth about her medical history.

Caroline Cray, 24, broke her silence about her battle with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) in a TikTok video from March that has currently garnered over 2 million views.

According to PEOPLE, Cray developed allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, mustard, kiri, seafood and various fruits at the age of two.

The Massachusetts native was finally diagnosed with MCAS in May 2018, and she can now only eat oatmeal and a hypoallergenic formula.

“It’s kind of taken over my life for the last two years, last seven years,” she said in her first viral video. Cray continues to discuss MCAS on her TikTok @carolinecray2, and other TikTokers have praised the healthcare recruiter for her positive attitude.

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Cray doesn’t remember what her first hospitalization was like at age two, but she confirmed to PEOPLE that she outgrew most of her allergies over the next 5 to 10 years.

However, things took a drastic turn when she turned 18 and attended her first week of college in 2017.

She took two bites of an ice cream sandwich she ordered from a truck and almost immediately suffered what she thought was an anaphylactic reaction.

“I felt like all the blood was coming out of my head and I had super tunnel vision,” Cray told PEOPLE earlier this month.

She later suffered multiple allergic reactions and was even placed in the intensive care unit at Boston Children’s Hospital in September 2017.

Cray’s health continued to deteriorate and she left her college dorm and became a commuter.

Doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital eventually diagnosed Cray with MCAS, a disease that repeatedly causes severe allergy symptoms.

“A few years ago, I could eat almost any food except the major allergens, like peanuts, tree nuts, mustard and sesame. But the last few years it’s been really, really difficult,” she said.

Cray gave more details about the illness in a TikTok video she posted on April 29 in response to a comment from another TikToker.

“Food is a huge trigger for me. For some people, the biggest sensitivity is to chemicals or cleaning products,” she said.

“But for me it’s food, and I’ve had so many allergic reactions to so many foods over the last few years.”

The health recruiter added that the reason she only eats foods with oats and a hypoallergenic formula is because they haven’t caused her to have an allergic reaction.

The healthcare recruiter added that the reason she can only eat oatmeal and hypoallergenic formula is because they did not cause her an allergic reaction.

“I’m sure I could eat something else… But the thing is, over the last few years, I’ve probably tried a dozen things, and the only things that have worked have been oatmeal and hypoallergenic preparations,” she continued.

Cray told PEOPLE that her formula tastes like milk or a vanilla protein shake and contains 57 grams of protein, 91 grams of fat and 100 grams of carbohydrates.

“The only thing that’s a little lacking is sodium. So I’m just completing that. I just add salt to things,” Cray said.

Cray successfully completed her freshman year of college virtually and was able to move into an apartment on her college campus for her senior year.

However, she decided to abandon her “food trials” in order to do so.

“I knew that if I did food testing, I would have to stay home a lot and that I would be more symptomatic,” she explained in her April 29 video.

“I decided to sacrifice eating progress so I could go to school…Honestly, I’m so glad I did because it was a great year.”

Cray now works with a naturopathic doctor who is helping him reintroduce more foods into his diet.

She also tells TikTok users that even if they don’t like her diet, it keeps her going.

“Thanks to the diet I followed, I was able to finish school, make new friends, make so many memories, and I’m very grateful for that,” Cray said.