So, yesterday was 10 days without a drop of an "as advertised" caffeinated beverage. 10!
I had 4 cups of decaf tea, 1 decaf iced coffee from DD. I wasn't really counting solid foods in the abstinence program, but I also had a box of junior mints and, last night, a 2 Buck Choc./Peanut butter bar, if you must know. And after that, I guess you must.
I type this as I'm preparing to make a cup of tea for the first time in 11 days. Probably my longest non-vacation time away from hot tea since I started drinking loose leaf.
If its a life-altering experience, I'll post something.
As for the results of the caffeinelessathon: I was sleepy last Friday, as I noted, but thought I was getting better. Saturday was fine. Sunday included a 12-mile bike ride, so it was hard to tell. But I wasn't sleepy at all at work so far this week. So its probably out of my system. I'm sleeping well. Working well.
And I would say the "new normal" is a lot like the "old normal." I'm the same. With one exception that I'll get too. I chalk the "sameness" to my body having adjusted to the caffeine. And now it's "reset."
Now, about that exception. I feel a little less frayed at the edges, I suppose. That could just be psycosymatic. But I feel a little more focused at work. A little more hard working. A little less distracted.
Other updates - NaNo - A big no. I've done nothing. I have a story percolating, but I've written nothing.
Which is kind of fine. Duke is back from ACL surgery and needs quite a bit of care. Three days of 3x daily ice packs (you ever tried to ice pack a dog where it is hurting from a knee reconstruction/5 inch scar?). Followed by 3x daily heat wraps for three days. No walking for a week except for potty breaks. Then there is a rehab program of gradually increasing walks, starting at less than 10 minutes, 2x day. No off-lease walking for 4 (four) months. And because he pulled out 3 sutures, he's wearing a cone nearly the size of a kitchen sink. For 10 days. Fun.
He's getting over the grogginess of the anethsia, but he's in pain and saddened/confused by the cone, which he rams into most everything, leaving alone only those items in which he plans to entrap himself on. And since we are largely ignoring him so won't do anything but lay down, he is somewhat confused by the lack of attention.
Oh, and he's not allowed to jump onto his second favorite sleeping area: the couch. Nor is he going to be making the 3-foot jump into his favorite sleeping area: the bed.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
So, how about that!?
So, how about that.
Just before the great caffeine reduction of 2009 I was having trouble sleeping. More specifically, I wasn't sleeping through the night. Instead, I was waking up several times. And when I did sleep through the night, I wasn't feeling very rested as a result.
And I usually sleep like a rock. Deep and sound and thorough.
So, it couldn't have been the caffeine, right?
But today is Friday. It's Day 5 and I feel like I'm largely beyond the withdrawal symptoms. I feel reinvigorated instead of hung over. And for the last 2 or 3 days I've slept deeply and very well. So, maybe it was the caffeine. Its 9:30 a.m. So, not to make too big a deal about it before the afternoon crash zone, but I feel pretty good.
Damn good.
Maybe "new" normal good.
And once this little test is over, I'll report back comparing "old" normal and "new" normal before I go and screw it up by reintroducing caffeine.
Just before the great caffeine reduction of 2009 I was having trouble sleeping. More specifically, I wasn't sleeping through the night. Instead, I was waking up several times. And when I did sleep through the night, I wasn't feeling very rested as a result.
And I usually sleep like a rock. Deep and sound and thorough.
So, it couldn't have been the caffeine, right?
But today is Friday. It's Day 5 and I feel like I'm largely beyond the withdrawal symptoms. I feel reinvigorated instead of hung over. And for the last 2 or 3 days I've slept deeply and very well. So, maybe it was the caffeine. Its 9:30 a.m. So, not to make too big a deal about it before the afternoon crash zone, but I feel pretty good.
Damn good.
Maybe "new" normal good.
And once this little test is over, I'll report back comparing "old" normal and "new" normal before I go and screw it up by reintroducing caffeine.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
So, I have a story for you
Sat., Oct 31
For some reason today I imagine that I'm consuming to much caffeine. Entirely too much. Now, I'm not one of those anti-caffeine types. Quite the contrary. But I did feel like I was perhaps having too much of the stuff. It might have been the third in four days iced coffee. It might have been the half a pot that morning. Who knows? And it wasn't a health thing as much as it was a test. A test and a challenge. A test, challenge and sorta cleanse. All designed to once against bestow on caffeine the zoom it once had. Anyway, I decide that Monday is just the day to start this project. New week. New month. New thingy.
Sun., Nov. 1
Today's the last day with caffeine, and I'm not planning on going soft or easing into this at all. Coffee in the morning to start my day. Then an iced coffee prior to dinner. For the final flourish, I limited myself to a single cup of coffee with dessert. Time to start the redux.
Mon., Nov. 2
Morning. Ah morning. No problemo here. None at all. Renee has convinced me that full on stop isn't necassary, so I have a cup of Lipton tea when I get into work. But around noon I start to feel a headache. I've done this before, so I'm expecting the headache. Then then headache is joined by sluggish. If sluggish means nearly falling asleep at my desk. Literally, can't keep my eyes open. Monday night rolls around and its a struggle to even stay awake from about 8 p.m. on. I skip working out. I fall asleep even though there is a Phils game and a Monday night football game to keep my attention.
Tue., Nov. 3
This morning I go with decaf bags. I don't know if this upset the energy gods, or the caffeine gods, or the tea gods, or what, but the sluggishness really hits. Again, it sneakily waits till after noon. From about 12 to 2 its bad. But from 2 to 4 its nearly unbearable. I'm functional on a minimum basis only. For the second day, pain relievers do little to stem the broad, expansive, dull pain in my brain. Websites helpfully point out that caffeine is a great pain reliever, and when taken with NSAIDs can up their effectiveness by 40%. Thanks for nothing. The dull headache, achy feelings, tiredness - its like having a hangover. Except without any of the fun the night before as a partial reward. Plus, I'm a touch irratible. I guess its the withdrawel. Though it could be because I'm having such a wonderful day. I revolted even at the thought of playing my video game.
Wed., Nov. 4
I wake up feeling great. Absolutely invigorated. And its a good thing: today's deadline today. Unfortunatley, its at 2 p.m. I work the morning, and again my afternoon sucks. A softer, but still there, headache. Now I'm more achey than before. I do my usual lifting. Its not much, and I'm feeling a little better after dinner, though I still feel somewhat hungover. I fall asleep during the Phils game - again - and head to bed after I wake up.
Today, Nov. 5
I wake up rested once again, but again, it doesn't last. By noon I'm getting tired again, though not nearly as bad, and by 2 I'm barely awake. But I fight through it and by 3 I'm starting to feel better. By 4 I'm feeling fine. Maybe a tinge of tiredness remains, but its hard to tell. What's the new normal and what is the withdrawel? No fewer than twice today I walked past the coffee maker and thought about how nice a cup would be. Ditto my tea cupboard.
The future
Thanks to the results of a google search, I know that all my symptoms (headache, tiredness/exhaustion, hang-over-like symptoms, agitability, achiness), are pretty normal for caffeine withdrawel. I also know the symptoms set in after 12 to 24 hours (about right), and that caffeine is entirely out of your system after 9 days.
I'm not planning on quiting caffeine entirely. But what was supposed to run through the weekend will now run through mid next week to hit that 9 day line.
I can already taste that first cup of coffee or tea.
For some reason today I imagine that I'm consuming to much caffeine. Entirely too much. Now, I'm not one of those anti-caffeine types. Quite the contrary. But I did feel like I was perhaps having too much of the stuff. It might have been the third in four days iced coffee. It might have been the half a pot that morning. Who knows? And it wasn't a health thing as much as it was a test. A test and a challenge. A test, challenge and sorta cleanse. All designed to once against bestow on caffeine the zoom it once had. Anyway, I decide that Monday is just the day to start this project. New week. New month. New thingy.
Sun., Nov. 1
Today's the last day with caffeine, and I'm not planning on going soft or easing into this at all. Coffee in the morning to start my day. Then an iced coffee prior to dinner. For the final flourish, I limited myself to a single cup of coffee with dessert. Time to start the redux.
Mon., Nov. 2
Morning. Ah morning. No problemo here. None at all. Renee has convinced me that full on stop isn't necassary, so I have a cup of Lipton tea when I get into work. But around noon I start to feel a headache. I've done this before, so I'm expecting the headache. Then then headache is joined by sluggish. If sluggish means nearly falling asleep at my desk. Literally, can't keep my eyes open. Monday night rolls around and its a struggle to even stay awake from about 8 p.m. on. I skip working out. I fall asleep even though there is a Phils game and a Monday night football game to keep my attention.
Tue., Nov. 3
This morning I go with decaf bags. I don't know if this upset the energy gods, or the caffeine gods, or the tea gods, or what, but the sluggishness really hits. Again, it sneakily waits till after noon. From about 12 to 2 its bad. But from 2 to 4 its nearly unbearable. I'm functional on a minimum basis only. For the second day, pain relievers do little to stem the broad, expansive, dull pain in my brain. Websites helpfully point out that caffeine is a great pain reliever, and when taken with NSAIDs can up their effectiveness by 40%. Thanks for nothing. The dull headache, achy feelings, tiredness - its like having a hangover. Except without any of the fun the night before as a partial reward. Plus, I'm a touch irratible. I guess its the withdrawel. Though it could be because I'm having such a wonderful day. I revolted even at the thought of playing my video game.
Wed., Nov. 4
I wake up feeling great. Absolutely invigorated. And its a good thing: today's deadline today. Unfortunatley, its at 2 p.m. I work the morning, and again my afternoon sucks. A softer, but still there, headache. Now I'm more achey than before. I do my usual lifting. Its not much, and I'm feeling a little better after dinner, though I still feel somewhat hungover. I fall asleep during the Phils game - again - and head to bed after I wake up.
Today, Nov. 5
I wake up rested once again, but again, it doesn't last. By noon I'm getting tired again, though not nearly as bad, and by 2 I'm barely awake. But I fight through it and by 3 I'm starting to feel better. By 4 I'm feeling fine. Maybe a tinge of tiredness remains, but its hard to tell. What's the new normal and what is the withdrawel? No fewer than twice today I walked past the coffee maker and thought about how nice a cup would be. Ditto my tea cupboard.
The future
Thanks to the results of a google search, I know that all my symptoms (headache, tiredness/exhaustion, hang-over-like symptoms, agitability, achiness), are pretty normal for caffeine withdrawel. I also know the symptoms set in after 12 to 24 hours (about right), and that caffeine is entirely out of your system after 9 days.
I'm not planning on quiting caffeine entirely. But what was supposed to run through the weekend will now run through mid next week to hit that 9 day line.
I can already taste that first cup of coffee or tea.
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