So I'm drinking coffee again after well over a year without caffeine. I cannot tell you how happy that makes me.
I didn't stop drinking caffeine voluntarily; I did it because I have acid reflux that was just barely controlled by medication. As much as I loved my morning coffee, it would give me all-day heartburn. I hated to give it up, but I had no choice.
Then a miracle happened! No, not really. What really happened was much more bureaucratic than that. I went to refill my meds and discovered that the doctor had switched me to a high-dose, time-release generic drug at the behest of the insurance company. I was suspicious, but started taking the new capsules...and it turned out that the new medication actually works much better than the kind I'd been taking.
Naturally, I had to test it to see just how good it was. I went to Coffee Morning and drank two-and-a-half big cups of coffee. Later that day I had a Pepsi with lunch. Man, oh man was I sorry! My stomach was in such an uproar I was lucky to get to sleep that night.
That's how I learned that I can have ONE cup of delicious, life-improving coffee in the morning.
I love strong, black coffee. It makes me feel more focused and energetic. I get the impression that it speeds up my metabolism, but I may be making that up. I know for sure that I missed it every single day when I wasn't drinking it.
Of course there are drawbacks. The first is that I either need to make coffee in the morning before work or I have to stop somewhere and buy some. (Seriously, our office coffee is undrinkable.) Either way, it's an inconvenience and an expense. Then there's the lovely trifecta of coffee breath, tooth staining, and the inevitable little drops of coffee that land on clothes and car upholstery.
Even with all of that, I'm enjoying my morning coffee while I can. I've lived with acid reflux long enough to know that I'm pushing my luck hoping that the new meds will continue control my heartburn this well. There could quickly come a time when I'll have to go back to drinking nothing but water.
Thus, I'm actively enjoying every drop of my morning coffee each day. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to continue to do so for a long time.
Oh, you're killing me - I am snowed in for the day, ran out of coffee yesterday, and can't get out to get more! I need the caffeine at this point, I can't stay awake during the day if I don't have my two cups in the morning with breakfast.
Posted by: Liz | March 02, 2009 at 09:48 AM
Yay! I was off of coffee for a couple of years, because an acupuncturist suggested that it probably contributed to my migraine headaches. But it seemed to me that I still got the headaches, so eventually I started drinking coffee again, but in moderation. I make myself an iced latte every morning with the best espresso available in Portland and that's it for the day. It is one of life's nicest small and relatively inexpensive pleasures. I'm glad you are able to enjoy it again.
P.S. Did you feel like you could conquer the world after that first cup of coffee? I still remember what it was like to have that jolt of caffeine after a couple of years without it. There's no doubt that caffeine is a pretty powerful drug.
Posted by: Rozanne | March 02, 2009 at 11:07 AM
I have 1 coffee during the week @work. I use thermal mug with a straw= less stains on teeth!! FTW!
Posted by: Spyder | March 02, 2009 at 09:32 PM
Officially, this is my favorite Average Jane post title EVER. Hee.
After these pregnancies, breastfeeding, etc. I had to cut my coffee consumption down to 1-2 cups and I keep it to the morning now. I really savor it, though.
Posted by: cagey | March 03, 2009 at 12:09 PM