S.O.B.S!

That is an anacronym, yes.

Several weeks ago, I decided to cut Sodas out of my daily routine. I found that I was drinking far too many of them in a given day, and although my water consumption was constant, carrying a bunch of empties back from my desk every few hours was not a good use of my time.

Plus, sodium benzoate is not your freind.

After occasional usage during the deceleration, I started drinking them rather heavily this last year, and came to like them somewhat. But there is really no health benefit to the process, it’s a substitute for something you’d rather have.

And an effective mixer of course.

After the shopping excesses of November, I decided to just not buy it for the house anymore, and to stop drinking it entirely after the holiday season. I ran out of the caffienated kind on Friday, and had the remaining non-juiced cans on Saturday afternoon.

Really haven’t had any since, and I’m paying for it something awful.

I am in absolute agony.

Caffiene has a rather secondary effect on me. It doesn’t perk me up at all (most times it actually has the opposite effect), but it does do things like widen blood my vessels and make breathing easier. I generally used it to control my asthma and related breathing difficulties. Given the cold and damp conditions outside, this is probably not the best time in the world to be swearing off of it.

But that’s not the source of my pain. Since Sunday morning, my knees and back have been absolutely screaming at me. Seems that near constant level of stimulants I was pumping into my bloodstream was dulling most of the pain I feel every day from those area. Formerly, I focused past that pain to function properly, but I have apparently forgotten to do that over the last year in favor of a chemical solution.

oops.

My hydration has slacked somewhat, but it’ s really easy to get that back on track. But as I sit here in the Pit, I am surrounded by all sorts of things that can make the pain just disappear.

And I’m pretty sure I’m not going to use any of them. I know it’s a dumbass, self-destructive move, but I have a really , really strong aversion to most non-recreational drug use. I say this, having self medicated with CnH2n+1OH over more than a decade. I just don’t want to become (or become again) a person that I’m not. One who only exists when regulated by outside chemicals, which is what most “good” drugs do.

Including something as innocous as aspirin.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve ingested all sorts of things over my time on Earth, and not all of them have been good for me. Some , in fact, have been proscribed by the government as hazardous to my health ( I do not now, nor never will I seek public office, and have no shame in admitting this).

So, there’s nothing you can do ( and really, nothing I want you to do ) for me as I wrestle with this here jones. I’ll be a mostly miserable bastard for a few days while I remember how to breathe properly again, and reconnect all the various things that aren’t working properly.

Just thought I’d let you know.

P.S. This also effectively curtails my consumption of sweet, sweet rum. I’ll miss it, truly I will.

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