I've started to write something, repeatedly, and then delete what I've written.  There are so many things I want to write about but I'm having trouble putting my thoughts and feelings into written words.

I suppose I should start with my 15-year-old daughter.  Ever since she was little, she's had problems with constipation and stomach pain.  We've been to the ER at least 3-4 times, because we thought she was having an appendicitis attack.  On the last trip, nearly a year ago, the doctor looked at her x-rays and said, "You're full of shit."  Ha ha.  Funny doc.  She told me to give her Milk of Magnesia and warm apple juice.  I did and it seemed to work.

On Sunday, my daughter had some ice cream (she is lactose intolerant and I'm guessing she neglected to take any Lactaid, with it, and most ice cream has High Fructose Corn Syrup/HFCS in it) and she had a can of "retro" Mountain Dew, made with sugar, not HFCS.  I am 99.9% sure the sugar is made from beets, not sugar cane.  My daughter has told me, before, that sodas make her sick.  This one made her VERY sick. 

She has missed three days of school, because her plumbing is all backed up.  Then she told me she's actually had the opposite problem, in the past, and she thinks she has FM, like me.  I've been giving her Milk of Magnesia (MoM) but she's not getting any relief.  I've skipped juice, because if she truly has FM, that would make the problem WORSE, not better.  Oranges are supposed to be "safe", in small quantities, with 1/3 cup orange juice equalling one orange.  I gave her a little warm orange juice, last night, with the remainder of the MoM.  She was still miserable, this morning, but insisted she could not miss another day of school.  I'm sitting here, waiting for the phone to ring.  I hope she can make it through the day.

Yesterday, we were watching a TV show, when a commercial promoting High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) as healthy and natural came on!  Are you kidding me??  I was very angry.  The rise in obesity in the U.S. completely parallels with the introduction of HFCS into our foods, which became the norm in the 1980s. 

Some researchers believe that HFCS may be causing Fructose Malabsorption.  That commercial really ticks me off!  How do I get a PSA on TV, warning people about HFCS?  What kind of non-profit group can I form, to fight those folks and help my FM friends, out there?

Update on the Australian restaurant.... I found a restaurant in Melbourne that serves low-fructose meals.  They also sell fructose-free ketcup, steak sauce, and other products, with the claim that they look and taste like they have tomatoes in them.  I've emailed them TWICE, with no response.  This is really frustrating.  If they don't want to sell and ship to the U.S., that's fine, but they could at least respond. 

Until next time....