Quitting the Caff

I think I may be one of those people who started drinking coffee out of a sippy cup.  That may be a stretch, but every morning for as long as I can remember, there'd be coffee brewing, and I'd get to take in at least a sip or two.  Most times when I was younger, it was decaffeinated.  But, alas, at some point in the timeline, caffeine snuck its way into my coffee, veins and heart. 

As I've been working recently on a better state of overall health, it came to my attention that caffeine was somewhat of a hindrance to that.  Granted, quitting coffee--or at least the caffeinated variety--would be no small feat for me.  It has literally been the best part of waking up for me for at least a decade.  At first thought, I couldn't even get my brain around attempting this.  However, with some will power, I was able to dive in and begin the adventure. 

I had definitely heard of the headache that accompanies quitting caffeine, and I am guessing there had been a time or two I suffered one due to late intake.  But, as I did this in a more mindful fashion this time around, I was stunned by the force of the headache that did materialize.  There was nothing...and I mean nothing...that was going to soothe this pain.  I tried popping a few Advil, figuring they may take the edge off.  No way.  After getting through day one, on day two, I started trying to "google" remedies for a headache that results from caffeine withdrawal.  The best solution was to take a nap.  I'm not sure about everyone, but speaking personally, I'm pretty sure it will not turn out well if I take a nap midmorning at work.  

So, at this point in the process, I decided that it would be best for my body, state of mind and productivity at work if I decreased my amount of caffeine rather than stopping cold turkey.  This required keeping zero regular coffee in the house.  And at this point, I have managed to go from about 3 cups of coffee in a day to one.  I no longer feel charged by the caffeine in a bad way, I feel far less impatient, and, perhaps best of all, I worship that one cup I do have, so I've gained a new appreciation for it rather than seeing it as a non-negotiable start to the day.  Perhaps in the next blog entry, I can explain my new affinity for Tim Horton's small double-double coffee...   

A Tribute to Natural Health

In recent months, I've had to tackle some routine but inconvenient health issues.  These were things that had been misdiagnosed and, thus, not treated correctly when it came to medicine for several prior months or even years.  Part of this is my own fault because I always assumed I was young and didn't really need a comprehensive look at my health.  So, I'd travel often to the urgent care center, and if I went to my regular doctor, I'd keep it quick and not really take the time to divulge everything.

Regardless of the variables, I just happened to find a new doctor who is a D.O., doctor of osteopathic medicine.  I've gotten very lucky, too, because she's extremely thorough and, from her many suggestions, she demonstrates that she lives by what she teaches patients.

I've always been somewhat enamored by medicine--probably because I'm somewhat enamored by the body and its miraculous ways.  But, more recently, I've noticed more and more how traditional medicine really does rely a lot on prescription medications.  While these can be lifesavers, I really don't want to be dependent on them at 30 years of age...I'm sure my time will eventually come.  

So, given the chance to get established with a D.O., I jumped at the opportunity.  I had been to one other one previously, while living in New Jersey, and she practiced no differently from any other M.D. I'd gone to.  Going into this new situation, as a result, left me pretty pessimistic.  But, to my surprise, Dr. Jennifer Burns is the real deal.  She works as a part of a larger practice, run by local veteran practitioner--Dr. James Comerci.  Her approach has been extremely thorough (investigating all possibilities through simple testing like blood panels), but as she has tried to connect the dots on things, she's also given me amazing resources to work with in the meantime.  While this approach requires a little more patience and time, I feel so much more comfortable adding natural elements to my lifestyle rather than making a trip to the pharmacy for some new addition to the medicine cabinet.  She has started teaching me about incorporating targeted supplements, dietary support and behavioral/lifestyle changes.  Best of all?  Using them in combination has really started to improve the biggest challenges I was facing, and I feel much more energetic overall.

While I'm sure there will be times that require more traditional approaches to health problems, I'm really enjoying this new approach to overall health and preventative care.  It's much more engaging on my part, and it doesn't require quite so much faith in everyone and everything else but me. 

Make It Count

As we grow older, we unfortunately must face the intimidating reality of our mortality more frequently.  It's a natural consequence of age that never grows any easier.  I learned today at work that a longtime colleague had passed away suddenly last night.  John Sincavich was an entertaining character with one of the largest personalities I've known.  He worked on our firm's HelpDesk, so I didn't work directly with him on a regular basis and only really did so when my machine would decide to fail me.  However, John and I shared frequent conversation because we worked on the same floor and, thus, ran into one another constantly in the hallways and kitchen.  John, a seemingly peripheral character in my life, left me with some great tidbits of wisdom.  He probably had no idea that he'd done so, but I think the tidbits could serve a wider audience well. 

One of the most common themes laced throughout our discussions had to do with traveling and seeing the world.  John would share his stories of travel in South America and prod me for details of my meager, in comparison, travels within the U.S.  I'll never forget running into him shortly after my return to Wheeling from working in the firm's New York office.  He made a point of stopping me to let me know how pleased he was that I'd taken the time to move away from the area and embark on the adventures I had.  It sort of framed my experiences in a different light.  As he spoke to me, I was equally impressed that he would take an interest and take the time to voice support for what I had done.  What I never had the chance to say in return to him was that his tales of travel to South America were inspiring to me.  Each time he spoke, his face would light up like a child's, and he would recall details like it was yesterday.  It was apparent that this time had left a major impression on him, and it left me grateful.  I was grateful that I had the opportunity to hear how life had been good to him.  I was grateful because I feel so inundated by bad news on a daily basis and yet this peripheral colleague at work was able to single-handedly remind me that life is really good.  And fun!

Another common theme more recently was that of being out in nature.  Somehow, he'd discovered my downtime interests in hiking, kayaking, etc.  So, he'd tell me of his adventures on the river, favorite restaurant experiences as he indulged in his times boating and locations that he'd been to that stuck out to him (i.e., state parks, etc.).  Again, as John spoke during these times, it was with an excitement tainted only by joy.  And by hearing his stories, it inspired me to think even more about the amazing experiences I've had the chance to enjoy. 

And so today, when I learned of John's death, I thought immediately of the void his absence will leave for his wife and son.  I was also touched by a version of that sadness and so decided to take a few moments out of the day and walk down to the river and give John's memory a few minutes of reflection.  As I sat, I realized that the overarching theme of my entire experience of knowing John was that of making it count--making this all-too-short time here count.  Find what you love and do it.  Do what you love and find the answers to why you're here.  Most importantly, when life hands you demands and time-consuming stuff that you may rather not be doing, focus on that time you do have and make it count.  Squeeze in all you can and be grateful.  And remember, you may have a short or long life, that cannot be controlled.  But, how you spend that time?  It's in your hands.       

Morning Fog and Nighttime Crickets

I am a self-proclaimed wimp when it comes to most of summer.  The heat, the sunshine...my body was not made for it.  However, I am a huge fan of the summer months because, as most would observe, nature is so alive and active.

When I get up in the morning, Tucker in tow, our first task is to head outside.  Most recently, when we do so, it's like the hills are in the process of waking up.  The sky only alludes to the sunshine's existence at this time, and this provides just enough light to feature the hills' release of the fog.  While I'm not a major fan of the dense fog that erases one's surroundings temporarily, this gentle morning fog is so beautiful.  It's as thought it has been trained to behave like morning would have it behave.  It quiets everything, gives the illusion of stillness.  And, before you know it, the hills have wiped the sleep from their eyes, and the fog is gone without a trace.  Amazing...and beautiful.

On the flipside of morning, there is bedtime, which brings with it a last trip outside with Tucker.  Just over the past week or so, I've noticed a little Jiminy Cricket that has taken up residence right around the steps to the front porch--perhaps maximizing his potential to benefit from our garden.  (Note that I realize Jiminy Cricket is not the best representation of the real cricket community; however, have you ever skimmed images of crickets?  Creepy.)  After a few trips past him, even Tucker took notice of his audible presence, searching the landscape at his level to determine where this new chirp was coming from.  This went on for a few days before I realized that Jiminy had obviously brought his entire cricket community with him, as the night air is now full of the chirps of many.  And then it was after this that I realized this is the most prominent sound of summer that there is to be had.  What an amazing chorus.

As summer starts to melt (quite literally this year) into fall, I can't wait to see what nature has to bring in the new season.