Diet Coke Rehab

It is day three of my diet coke free existence. For a long time (too long) I have joked about being addicted to my "mother's little helper", diet coke. I knew it was bad when William was including a self-made COKE ad at the end of the comics he draws. It is no longer funny. Cold Turkey with no caffeine is so much harder than it sounds! I am cranky and tired and have a raging headache! I had no idea this was normal for coming off caffeine! I thought I was being a big ol' wuss (as I am sometimes known to be), until I talked to a friend who told me about her experience quitting coffee and black tea. She said she thought for about a week she was going to die and she is not known for wussiness. So, for motivation I got on the internet to read about other peoples' struggle to quit the wonderful, sweet, bubbly, cold, refreshing, poison that is COLA. This is a small sampling of quotes I found:

"I've got this friend right,.. he is a coke addict for many years now. At first it seemed funny but now every time we meet him he’s all messed up. He doesnt shave anymore, he stinks and his girlfriend broke up with him. He doesn't understand he is an addict. He spents more time at home then at school. Please give us advise how to help him. He (we) can’t take this any longer."

or this. . .

"I was wondering why so many of my friends, including myself, are so addicted to Coke Cola. I was drinking just Cokes and no water….what a mistake!! After I passed the dark kidney stone, I knew what probably caused it. I don’t drink coffee or tea so this is my morning “pick-me-up. I went through withdrawals and tried working at the same time…I felt my brain just wouldn’t work and the headaches were unbearable."

My boys all had fun destroying the half dozen or so cans I still had in the fridge when I went off the hard stuff! They took them outside and threw them as hard as they could against the retaining wall. William had the best throw, it wasn't too hard so the can would just explode and be done (Bill), and it wasn't so soft that the can would just bounce off the wall (Romney), it was just right and would create a small hole and make a wonderfully dramatic fountain effect that kept going and going.

It seems like I may be almost done "detoxing" as my headache has mostly subsided and my joints no longer ache and I am not quite as cantankerous as the previous two days. Wish me (and Bill, since I am the cranky one) luck kicking my bad habit.