Today, as I was heading back home from my therapy appointment in Wichita, I was sipping on a diet cola that I'd bought on my way out of town after school. After sitting inside my pickup for the better part of an hour, it was only "marginally" cold to drink. That didn't seem to matter to me-out of sheer habit, I just kept on guzzling it. As I drank it, I realized that it was actually the fourth serving of diet pop that I had today...THE FOURTH! Except for the two cups of coffee that I "downed" before going to school this morning, I had given my body NO other liquids.....only coffee and pop. And friends, that is not good!
Hey, can I have a show of hands here? How many of you don't like to drink water? Yep, I knew there were some of you out there! I don't know how to explain it, but I hate to drink water! There is NOTHING more unappealing to me than a glass of water to drink. I almost have to make myself drink it....and that's no exaggeration. And foolishly, for many years now, I have substituted diet pop and coffee for water. My body has undoubtedly suffered for it and I am now paying the ultimate price for my lack of discretion.
I grew up in a restaurant and one cool thing about having parents who own a restaurant is free and easy access to the pop machine! Our parents never tried to stop us from drinking pop at any meal we had. This was in the '70s, long before diet pop was even a choice for anyone to order. Our taste buds were accustomed to that sugary drink. We thought absolutely nothing of it!
As I got older, and into high school and college, I lost my taste for the sugary kind of pop but immediately became enamored with diet-colas. My earliest remembrances of purchasing diet soda was when Mom sent me to Kiker's IGA in Haven to buy a carton of 6 bottles of Diet Pepsi. Guys, that diet pepsi was sweetened with sodium cyclamate...later shown to be quite harmful to those who ingested it. And since there were no calories, nothing stopped me from having all that I wanted. As time went on, I continued drinking them and I always would forego drinking enough or for that matter, ANY water. Only during the 3 times I was pregnant with my children, did I ever go off pop completely. But seems like always, that FIRST meal in the hospital after their births would have to include a diet pop. My abstinence only lasted so long and I was "off the wagon" and back on diet-pop drinking sprees again! ( I did try to "give up" pop during the Lenten season several times...that didn't do so well.)
Even though I already knew it, I came home and went online to look up the dangers of drinking pop in regards to healthy bones. What I read was no surprise to me--good friends have been giving me the same "stern" warning for years now. I guess I just had to finally come to the realization myself. You may already know this, but if you don't, here's what I found about pop consumption-ALL summed up in two simple sentences:
THERE IS NOTHING IN SODA POP THAT IS GOOD FOR YOU-NOTHING! THE MAIN CULPRIT, PHOSPHOROUS, ROBS THE BONES OF THEIR STRENGTHENING AGENT, CALCIUM. AMEN AND END OF THE SERMON....
So, here I stand before you all and pronounce myself "guilty" of over indulging in soda pop, time and time again, day in and day out. The time has come to say "enough"and to try, at least for the next 30 days, to quit drinking pop "cold turkey". I'd like to try and make it until October 26th, my 56th birthday, without the daily indulgence in soda pop. Will I make it? I don't know-but for the sake of my bones, I'd better be willing to give it an honest effort.
A couple of thoughts on my trip to therapy today and the ever grueling work out that Kim assigns me to do......I'm awfully glad that no one takes a photo of what I must look like when I try to do all the exercises he shows me. I'm betting that my face has kind of a "perpetual scowl" on it-if not, I'd be surprised. Some of them just downright don't feel good at all....yet if I want to get better, and I do, then I've got to be able to put up with a little discomfort. I find myself not even breathing as I do them and that's not a good plan. It only feels worse that way! "Breathe", I remind myself all the time.
Kim routinely measures the improvements that my left hand and wrist have made since last visit. Sometimes there is noticeable improvement and I can tell by his face that I've done better. Other times, when I hear him say "Is that the best you can do?", I realize that I've got to try a little harder, dig a little deeper, to improve my status from last time. Today there were a couple of things I'd gone backwards on but there were also things where an improvement, (even if small), has been seen. And as long as I can see a little improvement, then I'm continuing on.
Yesterday, for the first time in 8 weeks now, I was able to put on a necklace that has a clasp to deal with. I had to work at it for a while and I wasn't sure that even after I got it securely in place that I would be able to "unclench" my fingers! LOL, but I did. Last week, for the first time in 2 months, I was able to hang clothes out on the line using BOTH hands. "Old-lefty" hadn't forgot what to do and man, was that ever easier than the way I'd had to do it before now! :)
Wait a minute guys, BRB.......
Well, I just poured the last of the pop I got at Wendy's for supper down the drain and for the next 30 days it's gonna be different. And as I pause to think about taking better care of my bones, I am soberly reminded that my body is also taking care of another person's bone-Eleanor. Giving up sodas would sure seem to be the least I can do. Wish me luck, 'cause I'm sure going to need it. I still refuse to give up!
Hasta la vista, Diet Pepsi! I have known you far too well, my friend! Sigh....
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