Everyone is going through tough times these days. Life’s routines have been disrupted, perhaps for good. Perhaps we are entering a new normal that is vastly different than the old. But to add to that I am going through a difficult separation. I’m not yet sure if it will end in divorce but it is looking that way.
It all started out innocently enough. Little irritations and discomforts. I knew that there were certain intolerances that I was willing to put up with but each little brick was working towards building an impassable wall. And then there were and are all the relatives, so many of them that I just can not tolerate. I know its me, I’m the one at fault here but I can’t change. I, overtime started to distance my self but recently, in the past few weeks I realized a full split-up was needed. You will not believe how difficult it has been. But it had to be done.
I tried, really. First it was total ignorance. I just did not realize what it was doing to me. Just subtle little things that I could not attribute to anything. I thought it was just me, just the way I was until I distanced my self and realized that I did not have to live with that pain in the head. I fear it means a full divorce. It means that all of the good, all the pleasure, all the great experiences, the wonderful meals and desserts, all mean nothing. What a sad end to a wonderful relationship.
I know, you’re saying why not just cool it a little bit. Maybe it will workout. Believe me I tried. I TRIED! But just a little sampling, a taste, a hint is all that is needed to open the doors of hades. First I distanced my self from all the relatives. All of them. And I have to say things got better. But that nagging pain was still there. Not as dominant as it was and not as pervasive but it was still there. Then I made the move that was called for all along. I opened the refrigerator door, grabbed the love of my life and dumped it in the trash. The difference in my life has been cathartic. That little pain in the head, that sinus congestion, the fatigue, the moods, were gone.
I’ve always loved butter and all dairy. As an adult I realized that I could not tolerate lactose but I was able to get around that with pills and drops. But that was not the real problem. The stomach discomfort could be averted but I did not realize what dairy was doing to me. It was not the lactose that was the real problem but the casein, the milk protein that was my nemesis. Casein is a protein with a similar structure to gluten. Although I am not gluten intolerant, it is clear that I can not handle caseins. The reaction is not quick. I could eat casein and feel fine for a day or two and then it starts to act. You see the intolerance is in the gut. It has to get to the gut to trigger the allergic response. That response is the production of brain hormones and histamines that produce the inflammatory response. That response in my case is a swelling of the mucosa of my sinuses that put pressure on the trigeminal nerve resulting in my life long companion, the migraine.
But wait you say, butter has no milk proteins. That is not true. The milk solids in butter contain trace amounts of casein and that is all it takes. Before abandoning all things dairy I was having mild to moderate migraines once or twice a week. Fortunately the use of sumatriptan pills relieved the pain but I was afraid of taking those powerful drugs so often. In Italy they prescribe four pills. When I dumped the butter my migraines, more or less, went away. Oh I still get very mild ones occasionally but I think that is because there are hidden milk proteins in many foods. It’s impossible to avoid them all. Yea, I suspect its a divorce. 
