Lactose tolerance-intolerance

During pregnancy, many women experience hormonal changes ranging from extreme PMS to uncontrollable acne to even vision changes.
Lucky me. I've experienced all of the above symptoms.
The good news is that even though hormones are responsible for making my body into a three ringed cicrus, it has also changed some otherwise irritating symptoms for the better.

A couple of weeks ago I started craving cheese. I've always loved cheese. Even with my lactose intolerance, I have always loved cheese. Alex and I started buying lots of cheese. We bought the lactose free stuff because we knew it was safe and I didn't have to take lactaid pills with it. After a while, I got tired to eating only Gouda. The other lactose free cheeses aren't particularly good because their primary ingredient is rubber. (Rubber is hard to melt and never tastes particularly good on anything).
We bit the bullet and bought mozzarella cheese. I love mozzarella cheese. It's salty, mild and melts into a gooey mess that is best enjoyed when you have to scrape it off your chin.
After a few pizzas and a mitt-full of lactaid pills, I realized that my tummy was not reacting well to the cheese. I was bloated and constipated.
This was so disappointing.
I figured that I was so lactose intolerant that I couldn't even enjoy cheese with lactaid pills. Because I wanted to eat the rest of the cheese, I upped the anti. More pills!
After the soft-ball sized cheese was finished, I thought I was going to die.
I'm a veteran to stomach pain, trust me, but this was more aggravating than anything. My stomach wasn't hurting nor was I any more gassy than a teenage boy, but I seriously thought I was never going to poop again.

If you were wondering, yes, I drank my weight in water, ate fiber and fruit and veg and I exercise like a mad-woman. I did everything right and still couldn't figure out what was plaguing me.
I finally gave up. I tossed my lactaid pills aside and started eating cheese. I felt so liberated even though I was sure that this was a bad idea. At any minute, I could have that tell-tale cramp and have to run up the stairs to the bathroom.
Nothing happened.
I waited for a few hours and went to bed.
I had a series of "cheese dreams" (when I was little and ate cheese too late at night, I used to have scary or wierd dreams). This was nothing out of the ordinary.
When I woke up. I had to go to the bathroom. This was routine, however I always dreaded the experience because of my previous constipated outcome.
"PRESTO!"
Everything was back to normal.
This was so bizarre. I suffered for weeks before this and all of a sudden I felt great.
I called Alex.
He is never as excited about poo as I am but he was relieved that I was no longer uncomfortable and that we didn't have to buy lactaid pills anymore!

This story could end here but of course, the maniac inside me decided to test my newfound lactose tolerance-intolerance.
On Wednesday, I went with my friend Steph to visit her aunt up in Aurora. We thought a day by the pool would do us each some good. We were right about the pool part but wrong about our snack choices. We bought veggies and dip and a cheese tray.
It is never a good idea to put a pregnant woman next to her craving. I attacked that cheese tray as if the cheese was melting before my eyes. Yum!
At the end of the day, we packed up our leftovers and hopped in the car for the ride home. My tummy was a little sore but nothing awful. I knew I had eaten too much cheese but figured that it would digest and that would be that. I was wrong. I had a whole night of "cheese dreams" and a full day after of no 'results'. I also felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach. 'Peanut' was dancing on my guts all day yesterday and that didn't help my queasy cause.
I am feeling much better today and after a week of eating crap, I'm pledging to eat better. Nothing like a hangover to make you swear off driking for the rest of your life.

Like normal people who know this, I have yet to learn that I too have limits (and not a cast iron stomach). I have sincerely learned my lesson and I don't plan on going 'cheese-happy' for a while.
The good news is that I can eat cheese. I have to limit the certain kinds and obviously the amount. For example, Havarti (which is high in cream and milk fat) is probably not as good a choice as old Cheddar.

As for 'Peanut', its doing fine, cheese and all. It's been moving all around and often poking me in places in my body I didn't know existed. I guess with an all access pass to my insides, it can do what it pleases. At least 'Peanut' isn't stupid enough to eat copious amounts of cheese and expect the world to be sweetness and light. There is still time to teach you the idiotic ways of your mother, 'Peanut'. Consider yourself warned.