Easter Recap 2015

After attending this year's Easter Lunch, I now realize that my Husband's family does not truly understand(or want to understand) food allergies.

 

The Easter eggs were full of candies, and many of those were loose and unsafe. When I was asked what was wrong with the M&M's, I explained how many of them are made in the same factories as the peanut kind and with out being able to read the label we can't tell if it is safe.

 

When we sat down to lunch I pulled out my daughters traveling lunch tote. Having seen this one of the uncle's stated that not eating in this family was sacrilegious.  I simply stated that I would rather have her eat something that I know is safe then have to take her to the ER.

 

After the Easter egg hunt, which she enjoyed immensely, I took her basket inside and began the process of separating out the candy's(I'm not sure why I bothered, we only gave her safe candy I purchased when we got home). While I was doing this my husband's aunt's were putting together bags for all the kids. After explaining why I was removing the M&M's and jellybeans,  they asked "Well what can she have?"

 

"She can't have Reese," Said the one aunt, "but she can have Fannie Mae?  Right."

 

"No." I told them and quickly explained using the package to show the nut warning on the back.

They were disappointed that the only thing she could have was the Hershey chocolate eggs, so they gave her extra.

 

Then the questions started, not about her food allergy and safety but "When is she going to grow out of this?"

 

"Never." I told them.

 

"That's okay, once she starts eating McDonald's she'll grow out of it."

 

I had to leave the room,  it was just as bad as at Christmas when one of the cousins, a teacher,  said "Next year I get the allergy kid and the only thing I can pass out is candy canes. That sucks." I was dumbfounded.

 

After dinner and dessert,  everyone was packing things to take home. One of the uncles asked if I wanted to take some birthday cake home. I told him that we can not take home or eat store bought cake.  I could feel our aunt's eyes popping out of her head as she looked at me.

 

All I can tell myself is we survived.  No reactions, no rashes,  and no trips to the ER.  This was a successful holiday in my opinion.  And my daughter was so busy eating the Easter cookies we made together,  she didn't even care there was chocolate around.

Lactose Intolerant?

I suffered for months. Being familiar with food allergies I knew it had something to do with what I was eating. My symptoms present when I consumed pasta or breads and it only seemed logical that I had developed cilacs.

Even after changing my diet I still had symptoms, in fact they had gotten worse. On a trip to visit my mother even she noticed that I was bloated and in discomfort after meals. After a stuffed pizza dinner with my brothers and ice cream for dessert, I barely slept. The next morning we were planning a large lunch with more family. We feed the kids but my Mother and I skipped breakfast for a large whole milk latte.  I was about half way through when it hit me.  Every horrible symptom all at once.

There was no more denying the cause of my problems. 

So what is Lactose Intolerance

"Lactose intolerance, also called lactase deficiency, means you aren't able to fully digest the milk sugar (lactose) in dairy products. It's usually not dangerous, but symptoms of lactose intolerance can be uncomfortable(to say the least).
A deficiency of lactase — an enzyme produced by the lining of your small intestine — is usually responsible for lactose intolerance. Many people have low levels of lactase, but only those who also have associated signs and symptoms have, by definition, lactose intolerance.
You can control symptoms of lactose intolerance by carefully choosing a diet that limits dairy products." Mayo Clinic.

What are the Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance usually begin 30 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking foods that contain lactose. Common signs and symptoms include:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea, and sometimes, vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Bloating
• Gas

Symptoms are usually mild, but may sometimes be severe.

I have now been avoiding dairy products for several months,  and am greatly improved.  However it has not been an easy road. Within a few days the cramps and gas were gone.  The Bloating took several more weeks to go away.

I learned that as with many intolerances there are levels of what you can and cannot handle. Apparently I can not even consume a few milk chocolate candidates with out experiencing some kind of discomfort. 

After experimenting I have found I prefer rice milk over soy and nut based milk options, and olive oil butter tastes great on toast. And those lactose pill are a story for another time.