Lactose Intolerant: The inability to digest lactose, a component of milk and some other dairy products. The basis for lactose intolerance is the lack of an enzyme called lactase in the small intestine.

A few years ago during the summer I found out that I am lactose intolerant. I found this out when after a few months or so, every time I ate or drank something with dairy in it, I was running to the bathroom a good fifteen minutes after consuming the dairy. After getting sick and tired (literally) of being not being able to enjoy the things I loved the most I finally thought it was time to go to the doctors and talk to them about my situation. The doctors suggesting I should take some Lactaid pills so I could enjoy eating and drinking dairy without having such a bad experience with it. I've tried taking the pills and honestly they work wonders but after a while, I would forget to take the pills and blah blah blah.

Figured I'd write about all the things I love to do even though my body feels the complete opposite.

Ice-Cream:

During the summer there is nothing more than being able to drive down the road or 30 minutes just to go get some ice-cream but being lactose intolerant, it's hard to enjoy eating ice-cream. But the amazing feeling of getting a medium twist with a waffle cone and rainbow sprinkles is shortly lived when I'm in the middle of driving home and my stomach is upset and I need to find a bathroom.

Milk:

There's nothing more that I love than a nice huge glass of cold milk. Whether it's 2%, skim milk, chocolate, or strawberry milk, I love it more than anything. I will drink milk for breakfast, lunch, dinner, in between snacks. When I come home from college during the summer or during holiday breaks, it's safe to say my parents have to buy at least maybe 10 gallons a week because it's really the only thing I want/like to drink even though my body hates it.

Cheese:

I find myself eating the single pieces of cheese at least maybe two to three times day. Whether it's 11 am or 1 am, if I am hungry and there is nothing else to snack on, I run to the fridge and just grab a piece of cheese and eat it. Not really sure why, but there's something about snacking on a piece of cheese that makes me happy but not my stomach.

If there's anything I've learned about being lactose intolerant is that sometimes you gotta break the rules and risk getting sick just so you can have some of that ice-cream cake.