by Zarnoff » Tue Oct 08, 2013 11:02 pm
So after a medical scare, it's apparently time to quit drinking. I don't know what qualifies as an alcoholic or a problem, but apparently 14 beers an evening is excessive. I was diagnosed with a TIA, and told that 20% of people who have one go on to a stroke. I'm still being checked out for liver damage. So I quit. Since last Thursday, anyways. My body has had a difficult time adjusting; alcohol was what regulated my sleep patterns. After I drank enough, I went to sleep. Now my sleep is much more intermittent, I usually wake every hour or so, but I remember my dreams for the first time in years.
I knew this day was coming. Nobody keeps drinking and things just stay alright. I figure I'm lucky that I got a warning before the hammer came down. My BP is over 165, my Cholesterol is ridiculous, and the tests on liver function are alarming. But I have good medical care, a supportive wife, and a good job that I manage to make it to, usually.
I don't really want to quit, but I have to. I think that's more motivation than wanting to. I was in the military for years and learned to do what you need to, not necessarily what I want to. Hopefully other veterans can lean back on that training.
Thanks for listening.