Moo too!

A month ago I posted an entry to this blog about the dairy allergy I’d acquired after the bone marrow transplant. In late August I figured out that the problem with my guts was due to dairy and thus began my vegan diet.

My sister-in-law, Debbie, has done extensive research on the issues of dairy sensitivities. There are three components of dairy that cause trouble. Potentially I was allergic to the milk proteins, casein and whey. Another possibility is that I’m not able to digest lactose. My doctor expected that the dairy problem would be temporary and I recently thought it was now time to see if dairy would still make me suffer gastrointestinal indignities. The milk protein casein is in all forms of dairy. Lactose and whey can be reduced or eliminated from some dairy products.

In a pessimistic mood, I figured that I would probably still be allergic to dairy so I started my self-testing with casein; if I reacted to casein then no dairy would be ok yet. I picked a time when I could be at home (i.e. near a bathroom) for at least 2 days to start my experiments. I’d learned from my original trial with dairy-free diet that it takes at least 2 days for the dairy to clear my system and my guts to settle down. I found a good source of casein that had no lactose or whey: soy cheese. Odd huh? The casein is used in some soy cheeses to bind the soy ingredients. Surprise, surprise I didn’t react to the casein. That’s a good start.

Now in an optimistic mood, I tried various forms of whole milk: yogurt, milk and cheese. I know that casein is not the problem, is lactose or whey going to torpedo me? Wasn’t I amazed that once again I didn’t react to the foods? So ends my forced march through the rigors of vegan eating.

Pizza, cheese on pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches, and actual yogurt (anyone want the leftover soy yogurts?) have all found their way across my tongue. Yum. I’m still a bit nervous about recklessly relaxing into a diet rich in dairy, but I’m much more relaxed being able to eat some good normal favorites.