Part 7: My Dairy Reintroduction Fail: The Rash, the Relapse, and the Reality of Autoimmune Healing

Part 7: When Progress Meets Real Life — My Dairy Reintroduction (round 2) Story and the Rash That Told the Truth

Six months.
That’s how long it had been since my two‑year follow‑up eye exam—the one that confirmed everything still looked stable with my uveitis since starting functional medicine. Honestly, I was riding high. My inflammation was calm, my eyes were cooperating, and for the first time in years, I felt like I wasn’t fighting my own body every day.

And with that confidence came… complacency.

Yep. I did something bold. I decided to reintroduce dairy again.

Not in the old “cream sauce with cheese raviolis—let’s go big!” way.
This time, Dr. Schena gave me a very structured, very patient, and very wait-and-observe progression plan. Tiny steps. Pause. Watch my body. Then the next little step. Exactly the kind of slow, steady reintroduction that makes sense for autoimmune systems that love to overreact.

So I started this experiment back in September 2025.

It Broke Me (But Not How You Think)

Fast-forward to November, when I finally did it:
My first gluten-free pizza… with real cheese.

Listen.
I’m not exaggerating when I say it was heavenly. I had tried every vegan cheese on the planet, and while I appreciated the attempts, nothing compares to real mozzarella on a hot slice. Nothing.

The holidays came and went, and honestly? It felt good not having to stress about dairy.
I still wasn’t abusing it—no piling cheese on my burger, still cooking with oat milk at home—but if a dish accidentally came with dairy, I didn’t spiral. I even ordered Alfredo at restaurants again. Small moments of food freedom felt so… normal.

And then it happened.

Remember That Mysterious Rash?

Yep.
It came back.

This time it didn’t stay confined to my back.
It spread—behind my knee, under my breast—and it was itchy. That kind of irritating itch that you know deep down isn't random.

I knew exactly what I needed to do.
But emotionally? It hit hard.
Letting dairy go again, when I had just tasted that freedom, felt unfair. But bodies don’t lie. And mine was speaking loud and clear.

And Then My Bloodwork Came In…

This part humbled me more than the rash.

Last year, I was the gold-star version of myself—exercising regularly, taking my vitamins, staying consistent with what my body needed.

But over the last six months?
I slipped.

Not catastrophically, not dramatically—just that slow slide into old habits:

• Workouts became once in a while

• Vitamins got skipped for weeks (then a whole month)

• Movement after meals turned into “I’ll do it later”

And my bloodwork reflected it.
My blood sugar crept back up, right to the beginning of pre-diabetic numbers.

Was it dairy?
Was it lack of movement?
Was it missing vitamins?

Probably… all of the above.

And honestly, I felt bummed. Disappointed in myself. But I also knew this wasn’t a mystery. This was cause → effect. And the beautiful thing about that? I can reverse it.

Book the Appointment. Rebuild the Routine. Reset the Mindset.

So I made an appointment with Dr. Schena—my functional medicine guide, my reality-check, my cheerleader when I need one. We reevaluated my vitamin plan, talked about inflammation patterns, and looked at what my body was asking for now.

Big emphasis on:

• Getting back into consistent exercise

• Prioritizing movement after eating

• Supporting blood sugar stability

• Reducing inflammation triggers (…hi again, dairy)

And you know what?

I’m not defeated.
I’m reminded.

I did this before.
I healed inflammation.
I stabilized my eyes.
I brought my blood sugar down.
I got my energy and clarity back.

And I can do it again.

Because healing isn’t a straight line—it’s a practice.

And sometimes, the body nudges us.
Sometimes, it whispers.
And sometimes… it gives you a rash under your boob to get your attention.

Either way, I’m listening.
I’m recalibrating.
And I’m stepping back into the version of me who knows what works—and works for it.

I’ve got this.
And if you’re on a similar autoimmune or functional medicine journey, so do you.

For reference - The old rash: https://www.chasingsimplemoments.com/navigating-my-health-journey-part-2-unraveling-the-mystery-of-a-new-rash

The new rash:

Keywords: uveitis, functional medicine, autoimmune, dairy intolerance, mom health journey, functional medicine success, autoimmune rash, pre-diabetes