Milk and I have a disturbing relationship.
I love milk. I love drinking milk (whole, 2%, skim, whatever) and eating all forms of milk I've ever tried (all cheeses, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, you name it).
Milk used to love me back.
But about a year and a half ago (around July/August 2007) my body started reacting very strangely whenever I had milk. It took me about a week to figure out that it was the dairy causing me to be sick, but sure enough it was. When I eliminated it I was fine.
When this started, I was able to drink Lactaid milk or eat anything with cheese, but only 2-3 servings per day before I would get ill.
Story time!
As I am a college student, I kind of live on cereal and hot pockets (I did, at least. Not so much now). Those tasty little hot hand sandwiches are generally glued together with various forms of cheese. And one day John and I were taking a trip to Williamsburg. To make sure his car was OK for the trip, we went out in the morning to check his tires or his oil (I am unsure of which), and I grabbed a quick breakfast: a hot pocket. I knew that it was bad for my stomach, so I also took a Lactaid pill as directed: with a glass of milk. I was eating my pocket, and halfway to the repair shop, I asked John to pull over. My stomach wrenched. I ran into a gas station bathroom and had to stay there for 15 minutes to make sure I wouldn't ruin John's upholstery.
We may have gotten his car looked at (my memory is fuzzy), and then John, two of our friends, and I piled into his car for the trip down. I assured everyone I was ok, and I had my typical sick-day supplies of matzoh and ginger ale. We got almost to exit 130/Fredericksburg on I-95 before the milk hit me again. I got sick all over John's car and myself and had to change clothes on the highway (I am glad it was an over0night, or else I wouldn't have had any extra clothes!). Thirty minutes later, we left F-burg, and I was fine. My stomach just had to get the milk out.
After that, I could only have 1 serving of "wet" milk per day, but 2 "dry" milks (a small ice cream or bowl of cereal was ok, as was a few slices of pizza/anything with cheese).
As of now, I can only have hard cheeses (ie Cheddars, Swiss, anything aged) and 1-2 slices of pizza, if I am lucky (I do better with "cooked" milk. Baked goods don't bother me, and melted cheese seems to work better than raw). More than a serving of cheese still bothers me, but not right away.
John and I have researched and tested, and figured out that I am
not lactose-intolerant. I can have certain things that LI people can't. Also, my reactions are much more immediate. Any liquid milk I have generally "comes back up" within 5-10 minutes. Ice cream, milk, even Lactaid milk sometimes.
Sorry for the off-topic post, but it is important to me. Milk is my dream drink, but my body rejects it. And I have to learn to accept that, grudgingly as it may be.
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