One thing that has been particularly frustrating with every gastroenterologist that I have seen throughout the last ten years of my life has been their lackadaisical approach to my very severe lactose intolerance. I discovered that I was lactose intolerant about 9 years ago when I found that I was having severe chest pains every night when I’d try to go to sleep — to the point that I felt that I was having a heart attack.

After talking with my doctor at the time, she suggested that I get an ECG test to check to see how healthy my heart was. Shortly thereafter I mentioned these symptoms to my mom, who explained that I was most likely lactose intolerant and to keep track of what I ate.

After doing a bit of testing, I found that even the slightest amount of lactose left me with severe stomach pains, cramping, and other common digestive problems that you would expect from someone who can’t digest milk. I’ve become so aware of my intolerance, that I can tell within minutes of eating something if it will bother me. » Read more: A little bit of lactose