Monumental Change

[Wings_Fan_In_KC]

Joe C, you're one of my mentors on this site holding over from the my early days on the MrB site.

Hang in there, pal.

In 2007, I quit drinking for 3 years. It sucked but it the result was a good thing in that my marriage stayed together.

You can do it. I have faith in you.

[philm00x]

Good luck to you Joe.

[jhough]

Good luck Joe, Will keep you in my prayers.

[Rebel_B]

Stay cool Joe!

[teutonic terror]

Best of luck Joe!

[joechianti]

Thanks so much for all the positive comments and support. This really is a wonderful group we have here, like family. I've watched others here who've had to quit or cut back on the stuff we love so much, and I thought I wondered if I could handle that if it happened to me. Well, apparently it's amazing what we can handle when we have no choice.

I've always been a die hard "eat, drink and be merry" type. I have pretty good discipline in most areas of my life, with a few weak area, most of all food and drink. If I like something, I ask no questions and just enjoy it without regard for the consequences. That's starting to catch up with me now, as it seems to do with most of us as we get older. (I find it hard to believe I'll be 30 soon).

I know there's plenty of us here who have had to make tough choices like this and will continue to do so in the future. It does makes it a lot easier to have good friends to help soften the blow. My plan now is to just to drastically reduce the amount of the food and drink I love so much and simply try to relish it as much as I can when I do partake.

Did I mention how great it is to have such good friends here on this forum?

[mtsoxfan]

Good luck Joe. Starting is the hardest.... then it really does get easier, no matter what you are quitting. 30? Yah Joe, 30 is creeping up on all of us...

[bucknut]

Good luck and good health to you Joe, "one day at a time" as the old saying goes.

[Banjo-guy]

Best of luck with cutting back.
It's not easy but others have done it.
Hang in there.

[RickBeer]

You can have relish, it's good for you. No mayo though.

[joechianti]

Thanks again for all the support and encouragement, and also for the levity. I'm beginning to think I can actually do this. I'm adapting methods such as only drinking half a beer when I open it and putting the other half in a smaller bottle and capping it tightly for later on. That way I can have two beers in a day and still only drink one full bottle instead of two. I also broke down and saw my doctor. Got thyroid, blood pressure and gout pills to take every day. Honestly trying to shift my diet more towards fruit and veges and away from biscuits and gravy and such. Finally, gonna try to get a little exercise into my daily routine, as soon as I'm able to walk normally again. Sometimes the anticipation of change is worse than the actual change itself, I guess.

[ssorck]

Gout. Been there done that. I assume they put you on Allopurinol or Uroquil?

FYI I've been able to manage it without prescription meds for the past few years. When I get that tingly feeling that I know an attack is coming soon...I take 3 Alieves, megadose 2000 mg of Vit. C and start drinking ALOT of water. I try to do that every 4-5 hours or so for a couple days, taking the Vit C down to 1500 second time and 1000 for the rest. Also I get a big bag of cherries and start eating 40 cherries 2x daily until the bag is gone. Knock on wood but I haven't had an acute flare up in about 2 years...

[BlackDuck]

Sounds like your making so really good changes....keep it up Joe!!!

[Brewbirds]

I've lived in Texas for years Joe, I thought biscuits and gravy WAS a vegetable.

[Chuck N]

I've lived in Texas for years Joe, I thought biscuits and gravy WAS a vegetable.

No kidding! I'll bet that if you looked deep enough you'd find a county or two in Texas that has a law on the book that says it's illegal NOT to eat biscuits and gravy. Like it's illegal in parts of Indiana to carry an ice cream cone in your pocket.