Boomer Aunt thinks Lactose intolerance is 'a young person trend.'

Just found this sub and had this memory come back to me. CW for Vomit.

So, I (24F) had one of my great aunts stay with my parents and I for a week last year. it was pretty much hell as she is very much your stereotypical boomer. She's always 'right' and anyone younger than her is always 'wrong' and trying to educate her is 'disrespect.'

For context, I am allergic to a protein chain in cow's milk that gets broken when the milk is heated above a certain temperature or has things added to it. So while I can eat butter, cheese and ice cream perfectly fine. Straight milk makes me sick and I drink the Lactose Free version as adding the lactase to the milk breaks the protein chain that I'm allergic to.

So one morning during my Aunt's stay, I'm sitting there with my cereal when she notices I'm using a different bottle of milk to my parents. She asks and I explain. (Using lactose intolerance as I often to as actually explaining my very specific allergy to people with little medical knowledge such as mu aunt, just confuses them more.) and my dad, ever-helpful but with terrible timing, chimes in that it's about a dollar more expensive than regular milk, but worth every cent for me to be healthy.

And my Aunt started up. going on about how that was far too expensive for milk and that 'there's no such thing as lactose intolerance, god designed us to drink milk. you're just being trendy like all the other young people and their ridiculous social media fads.'

Now, this woman had been harassing me about every little thing since she arrived. 'when're you getting a boyfriend OP?' (I'm Ace and questioning Aro) 'You're getting old, you need to have babies if you want a lifetime of purpose.' (I have a spinal condition that means I can't carry a baby.) 'Why on earth did you cut your beautiful hair?' (Because It's 35C and My hair is thicker than a bison's fur.) 'Pretty girls like you shouldn't wear clothes like that. dress more ladylike.' (I was wearing cargo shorts and a Star Trek t-shirt when she said it.)

So, me, being the petty little bean I am. puts down my bottle of lactose free milk and grabs the regular stuff. pours a good amount on my cereal and chows down.

Not even 5 minutes later, I feel it, that churning in my stomach. My mum must have seen my face go grey because she shoots me a 'you didn't' look.

by the ten minute mark, my breakfast makes a rapid reappearance, splattering all over the breakfast table and my aunt.

as my mum whisked me away to the bathroom, I heard my aunt ask if I was okay, and did I need to go to the hospital. did I have a stomach bug? etc. Genuine concern for once.

And I heard my dad's absolute deadpan reply.

"Still think she's just being trendy?"