I’ve reached the point in my surgery recovery where I am starting to see staggering changes. I’m also starting to test the boundaries of what I wasn’t able to do previously.

A few days ago, I remembered how whenever I would have milk, I would get horrible stomach cramps. I always thought it was just lactose intolerance, which does run in my family. But then I had a thought: What if my lactose intolerance is really just my body freaking out from yet another thing being put in it.

I read that my allergies could stop being such a massive issue for me once my body wasn’t in crisis mode. I would still have the allergies, but they wouldn’t be playing absolute havoc with me. Maybe this was the same principle?

It was!

I drank about 8-10 ounces of milk within a few minutes and then realized that all I had to do was wait for the death cramps. I set a timer for 30 minutes. But the death cramps never came.

That night I was emboldened to try a milkshake. Last one I had made me feel very sick. I think it was a combination of sugar intolerance and my issue with milk. I got a mint chip milkshake from Braum’s on a family outing. Surprise, surprise, no death cramps, no feeling sick, just delicious milkshake.

I most likely do have some level of lactose intolerance. But right now it’s not at a point where it’s preventing me from doing anything. Or having cereal at 3pm.

I have another experiment tonight…

I have noticed I wake up groggy and often want to nap during the morning. Towards the beginning of my recovery that wasn’t the case. I think the difference is that I had so much trouble sleeping, I would come out to the couch, so not to disturb Dan. Sometimes I would fall back asleep on the couch. Frankly, I think the couch might be more comfortable and more conducive for sleep than our bed right now.

Which, let me tell you! Do not get one of those hybrid mattresses. This bed is four years old and it’s sagging, uncomfortable, and awful. It was also advertised as able to last 10 years. We threw a mattress pad on it last Christmas and that worked for a few months. But we already knew that was a temporary solution.

Which will not do.

I’ve had enough issues with sleeping in my life. If my experiment confirms my theory, we will definitely be getting a new mattress. I already have one picked out, just in case. Because for all my theorizing, I did notice that all of the snippets of dreams, and the one full dream I’ve had, have been when I was sleeping on the couch. If the couch is facilitating me dreaming, I will be on the couch until the new mattress arrives.

Shout out John Michael Designs for creating such an amazing couch!