Sometime back in the spring we realized my daughter is lactose intolerant. I wouldn’t say we were surprised. But we didn’t know before. There were clues of course. She was lactose intolerant as an infant, but for years experienced no symptoms.
Then the last year or so she noticed that cereal did not make her tummy happy. We adapted her breakfast routine. But she never really told us that she had troubles after ingesting all sorts of milk products. Not sure if she didn’t make the connection, or just didn’t say anything.
Once we figured it out we realized my husband is lactose intolerant.
So, as an adult you would think he would notice something was not right. But he just kept having tummy troubles and never connected it to…well, anything. It wasn’t until I was helping my daughter navigate the world of dairy free that I realized that my husband must be experiencing the same thing.
But that’s not all.
On a daily basis we as a family also deal with:
- Lactose Intolerance
- Undiagnosed Chronic Pain
- Meniere’s Disease
- PTSD
- Derealization Disorder
- Asthma
- Migraines
- GERD
- Auditory Processing Disorder
- Grumpiness & Frustration
Oh, we don’t each of us have all of these, but it is the compiled short list.
It’s interesting learning to live with each of these things. Each of us has our own triggers, hot spots and needs. Routines have changed, recipes are altered, and roles need be swapped. But as we work together through this season of life we find that we are improving our communication, and seeking to understand each other far more than ever before.
We have good days and bad days. But one thing is for sure, expect the unexpected.