Epiphany

I'm pretty open about all my stuff, and I'm going to share with you something that until recently I didn't even realize had happened.

I use to drink so much Dr. Pepper, I would kid that I need an IV drip of it going all day, to keep me fueled.

I'm serious.

ALL DAY.

Then about age 40, my waist started expanding, and I decided that the good Dr. was the culprit, so I switched to Diet Dr. Pepper.

It took me a few days, but then I embraced the icy goodness and started drinking it, just like I had my regular Dr. Pepper.

I'd stop by 7-11 at 7:00 in the morning, and get me a big gulp to get me through the day.  I would gulp that first burn down and the rest of the cup would slide right behind it.  By the time I would get to work at 8-830, I needed a refill, so I'd fill it back up.  Sometimes I'd make it until noon before I refilled it, but usually it was around 10, for pop #3, then I'd have a fresh one at lunch, and chase it with probably 2 more in the afternoon.  It was nothing for me to bang back 6-8 DDP's in a day.  And I was proud of it, because there weren't any calories involved.

I was able to do this for about 10 years. And didn't think one thing about it.   

Then someone told me that my forgetfulness was probably a by-product of the "aspartame" in the soda.  My dental hygienist, Kim, was appalled at my intake, and for years, every time she saw me, she would implore me to stop drinking so much, that it was literally taking calcium from my bones.

Finally, after not being able to string a sentence of words together, honestly, I'm not sure what it was that made me decide to stop, but I just did.

I traded DDP in for tea, and I try to sweeten my tea with Stevia or real sugar, and just take the lumps on my waist line.

It was hard.  I'm not going to lie.  Even with the tea in my system, I had the worst killer headache I've ever experienced, for about 2-3 days.  I was sluggish and cranky, and I kidded that I was going through withdrawal.

Sadly, I was pretty close to the truth.

When I turned 51, I started having serious problems.  I couldn't sit for more than 15-20 minutes without hurting intensely all over.  My knees ached.  My hips hurt so bad that I really couldn't sit.  It killed me to sit at a movie, and I would restlessly move in my seat back in forth, willing the movie to end so I could get up and get some relief.  The tops of my feet were numb.  It was so weird.  And mainly, I really couldn't keep simple things in my head.  I fear Alzheimers, the disease that took my grandma, and I'm thinking now, that was the whole reason for the withdrawing from the drink...making sure it was only the drink.

My memory did return (somewhat, I still have the 50 year old normal problems now), but better yet, as I was driving down to Abilene this week, I realized I didn't hurt at all.  I drove almost 5 hours and didn't have to get out once to walk and stop hurting.  I haven't had an Alleve for a while.

It's a Christmas Miracle.

When Dawn, the trainer here in Abilene at my work, started talking about how she had to buy a new bed because she was hurting so bad, and I watched her drinking her Diet Coke, exactly the way I used to, it all clicked in my head.

This delicious stuff that we all crave and love......it's killing us.

And as for me, I want 30 more quality years.  I don't want to be all hurting and unable to move because I won't give up my drink of choice.

I had a soda the other day (a regular DP) and it was so sweet, and heavy and left sweaters on my teeth.

I'm over soda.   Now tea.... that's another story.   I got to have my tea.  I'm sure there are side effects to it too, but for now.... Tea it is.

I'm just putting this out there for you to consider.  If you're young, you think you don't have to worry about it, but I'm here to tell you, it will catch up with you.

Friends don't let friends drink Diet drinks.

Feel free to share this blog with your friends.  If you are having pain or forgetfulness, and you drink a large amount of diet soda, I bet by just stopping you can turn it around.  It worked for me.