Sweet Lactose, I Will Make You My Bitch

Today my aunt and niece came over to meet the baby.  It was a lovely visit and we talked about so many things!  Among them: Allergies

I have been lactose intolerant for about 7 or 8 years now.  Giving up dairy was not so bad.  I had slowly phased cows milk out unless using it for baking.  Then I slowly phased almond milk into baking.  Cheese is the hardest dairy product to give up, and of course it should be.  Everyone loves cheese!  I felt great without dairy in my diet, and even went completely dairy/gluten/sugar free for almost 6 months before I found out I was pregnant.  While I was pregnant I realized that I could tolerate dairy again.  Not only could I tolerate it, I craved it!  Ice cream became a regular part of my pregnant diet and I didn't have to run to the bathroom 30 minutes after eating it!  Little girl brought me her fathers appetite!  Now she's almost 3 months old and I have been slowly phasing dairy out again because the same old reactions came back.  This time with a vengeance...  Not only do I have the "lactose intolerant" reaction, but now I have an allergic reaction.  The last bowl of ice cream I ate was yesterday.  It only took 5 minutes for my gut to react and when I say both ends I'm sure you know what I mean.  20 minutes of that and I felt good as new.  Who would have thought?

I blame dairy for many of my intestinal troubles, as well as (embarrassingly enough) acne and other skin problems, and some troubles in the lady reproductive area.  I blame wheat products (gluten) for many of these troubles as well.  BUT in order to find out if I am allergic to or intolerant of any of these things, I have to keep them in my diet until I'm tested (so I hear.)  This is not a good time to talk about health insurance.

So while talking to my aunt today I found that she is allergic to pretty much everything but trees, like almost everyone else in the family, and celiac disease runs in our family.  Good to know, right?  My sister was just diagnosed with the same allergies and celiac disease.  So now I really think I should be tested!  My aunt also shared what her allergist told her, which I'm really excited to research myself.  When she found that she has an allergy to shellfish she mentioned that she eats shellfish all the time and never has a reaction.  He told her that she has no reaction to certain allergens because she is living a constant reaction.  Her body is so used to defending itself from everything that she doesn't even notice any significant reactions anymore.  Could this be what's happening with me?  I think it might be.  This is why I want to research.

So, ice cream, chocolate milk, pudding, and dare I say cheesecake... I will always love you, but we're just not meant to be together.  Basically you are an asshole when it comes to my true inner feelings.  And so I must break both our hearts and end this disastrous relationship once and for all.  Unless I get pregnant again.  You, dairy, are officially my bitch.