The Philosophy of a Dairy Pill

Lactose Intolerance [ lak-tohs in-tol-er-uh ns ] / noun — a digestive disorder caused by the inability to digest lactose, a main carbohydrate in dairy products, which can lead to a negative effect on quality of life. A very common disorder, with some groups estimated to have a 79% rate of affliction.

It was a lovely, brisk Sunday evening in Seattle. Autumn was imminent, so the leaves had recently shifted to a more varied palette of rustic earth tones. I was out with friends and following an overpriced dinner, we decided to get some dessert to end the night. As we walked along the streets of Capitol Hill, we came across an iconic staple of Seattle, Molly Moons. The rest of the group shuffled into the serpentine line while I said my goodbyes, citing my aversion to the treat like some kind of ice cream iconoclast.

Hi. My name is Nikhil, and I’m lactose intolerant.

I was not always like this. In fact, I frequently enjoyed pizza and ice cream in my early adolescence (maybe more than I should have). During a fateful week in Summer 2018 however, I decided to experiment with cutting out dairy. I found myself at a crossroads after this week. I could no longer consume dairy without wrenching stomach pain that would frequently keep me up through the night. It was a rough period as I could no longer enjoy the childhood nostalgia tinged treats like I…