Lessons I've learned along the way...

I've learned or been reminded of a number of things in my path to find the cause of my dry eyes. Here are some:

1. Family, friends & neighbors (if you're lucky, like me, your neighbors are friends too) are amazing. Making soup, driving for hours to help, playdates, phone calls, just being there, these are the things that make the world go round and I feel so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life.

2. Label-reading can be surprising. Who would have guessed my chewable vitamin C contained dairy? Or the fancy mustard in my fridge?

3. The prospect removal of a major food group (dairy, in my case) is much more mentally palatable than an incurable disease.

4. The difference between lactose and casein issues are that lactose is digestive and casein is an allergy.

5. An awful lot of dairy-free items contain nuts or nut-products, which really sucks if you also have an allergy to nuts.

6. The disappointment of learning that a common everyday item like margarine frequently contains dairy is outweighed by finding a vegan substitute that is available at most or all of the major grocery stores you frequent.

7. A daily affirmation feels a bit hokey but sure is handy when you're having *another* blood draw.

8. Discovering a soy milk that you like can result in lasting joy. Pearl Unsweetened doesn't have that funny taste that so many soy milks have.

9. If you think you have an allergy, consult an allergist and get a scratch test. A Vega Machine isn't going to give you accurate results. Food allergies are difficult to diagnose to begin with and while it may seem appealing, the Vega Machine just isn't going to cut it. My Vega results diagnosed me with wheat issues but no dairy. My scratch test diagnosed me with casein (dairy) but no wheat. Even my naturopath said to trust the scratch test over the Vega results. Ultimately, the only way to know is to eliminate the food in question to begin with but a scratch test is going to be a much better starting point than a Vega test. Of course, this is my opinion and I'm not a medical doctor, naturopathic doctor or doctor of any kind. I'm just speaking from my personal experience and the advice of my naturopathic physician.

10. I miss cheese. Oh, and Twitter is an amazing resource for things like allergies. I've gotten recommendations, tips & encouragement from people that have been-there, done that and it really helps.