A Dry Year

I never intended to give up drinking alcohol, and I certainly don't judge those that do drink, and in truth I do miss the odd tipple, but having been dry for a year today, I have to say I prefer life without alcohol.

Now before you switch off, this post isn't a rant against alcohol, rather it's a celebration of the health benefits I have reaped from going dry.

I didn't stop drinking for anything more sinister than my health. I wasn't addicted, and stopping was very easy. However, the unseen, unrealised impact on my health was bordering on devastating and as such I had to make a change.

The main problem I was experiencing was an oesophageal  blockage on eating certain combinations of carbs & protein, with steak & chips being the worst. Mostly, the blockage would be fleeting and after a minute or two, with a sip of water, it would clear. But sometimes it would strike with a vengeance and it would remain blocked for hours. I had my worst ever blockage whilst in Paris, it ruined our meal out and because the blockage didn't clear until around 4am, it also ruined my whole night. something had to change!

I had already done the hard bit of losing weight and getting fit, boxing three times a week and unicycling twice a week will do that. And whilst getting fit did help, it didn't resolve the problem, though it did dramatically reduce my acid reflux, which had been a daily torment since my teens.

I eventually saw a specialist, who did a number of tests and put a camera down my throat. He came to the conclusion that I needed a drug regime that would be for the rest of my life and cost a small fortune. I decided there had to be a better way, and so rather than mask the symptoms with drugs, I decided to address the problem. After trying a few things, I decided to give not drinking alcohol a go.

So on our return from Paris last year I just stopped drinking (I think giving up for health reasons is probably a lot easier that trying to quit it as an addiction), and the positive impact was immediate! Within a couple of weeks I was able to eat a steak & chips dinner with no issues at all. What a blessing and a joy!

At the time I didn't know for how long I wouldn't have a drink, and I've not decided that I will never have another drink, but for now the health benefits make it a total no-brainer, and life is a whole lot better for it.