Those of you who know me, may know that I've been on a lactose free diet for 2.5 years. That means no real pizza, ice cream, cheese, yogurt, brownies, or cookies, just to name a few. Milk is a sneaky ingredient and ends up in a lot of prepared foods. Butter is worse. It's everywhere. But, I'm really good at doing what I'm told and when my breath test revealed my lactose intolerance was off the charts, I knew I didn't have a choice.
The lactose breath test was just one of many tests I've undergone in the past few years trying to diagnose and treat my stomach problems. I even started a blog a while back to document my journey including tests and diets. But, it wasn't much fun documenting my failures. I was diagnosed with IBS very early on in the process and that diagnosis stuck even though all known dietary changes and medications didn't relieve the symptoms. Although I don't care what my diagnosis is, I do want the diagnosis to lead to effective treatment. I'm still not there yet. But, I did receive a new diagnosis recently - gastroparesis. Basically, I don't digest food in a reasonable amount of time. So, it just sits and causes problems.
Unfortunately, the treatment for my new diagnosis is very similar to the ones we tried, unsuccessfully, for IBS. But, I'm hopeful my new doctor in DC will have more luck treating the symptoms since we have a more accurate diagnosis. Also, knowing what's really causing the problem is comforting.
Anyways, all of that was to say that I'm now on a gluten free + lactose free diet. I've been on it before with no success, and gluten free only before with limited success. This time, however, the diet changes are being accompanied with meditation designed to assist digestion. I'm not quite two weeks in, we're low on groceries, and I was craving something sweet. Well, I'm all out of dairy free/gluten free sweets, but my husband stays well stocked in Oreos. Which, by the way, is a pretty good dessert if you're only dairy free. So, since I was desperate, I decided to scrape the cream filling from the cookies.
I think that's an all new low. Even for me. And, I'm the girl who will make a run to the convenient store to buy M&Ms (pre-diet, of course; now I just grab Skittles).
My stomach problems, which generally consist of really bad bloating ("abdominal distension") and abdominal pain, influence my outfit choices on a daily basis. I'm always careful to select clothing that won't show my bloated stomach. Which is one of the reasons why I wear so many dresses.
Shift dress, however, aren't always the most stomach friendly because they tend to skim too closely for me. But, I couldn't resist this dress when I found it at Loft. I couldn't pass up a leopard print dress in tall. Paired with a blazer, I don't feel so self-conscious. So, it will be on rotation in the fall and in the winter (paired with tights).
Like I've said before, clothes should make you feel great about yourself. And while sometimes I resent not being able to wear anything I want because of my stomach, I feel much better when I wear something that makes me feel comfortable and confident.
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