Normal again - and all it took was some caffeine

So, I've been caffeine-free for the past several years - ever since my sophomore year of college, actually.

It started completely by accident.  I don't drink coffee or tea, and the only soda's that I liked back then were sprite and root beer.  The cafeteria at college didn't offer root beer, so I just drank sprite whenever I got a soda.  Without my even realizing it, months passed with no caffeine being injected into my system.

I didn't realize what was going on until my sophomore year.  I had a big day, full of tests that I was dreading.  But the night before I was completely exhausted, and I went to bed about midnight, with the plan that I would get up early the next morning and get some more study time in.  So, 5 AM comes, I drag myself out of bed, go down to the vending machine, and buy a nice 20oz Code Red Mountain Dew.

And drink the whole thing.

Insert "Caffeine" in place of "Red Bull", and that about describes it.

By 6:30 AM, when my roommates started stirring, I was so worked up that I couldn't sit still.  I tried resting my eyes for a bit, but as soon as I did the world started spinning and I felt like I was falling.

Somehow I made it through my morning classes.

By lunchtime, I was still so jittery I was shaking.  I'm surprised that the essay test I had in History was readable!

By 4 PM I'd stopped shaking, but was still super jumpy.  Jumpy enough that my co-workers were commenting (and laughing).

I didn't fall asleep that night until 3 AM the next morning.

After all that?  I stopped drinking caffeine. 

Skip ahead a few years.  A few months ago, I started taking this medication that makes me tired.  No, tired is too casual a word ... exhausted.  We'd take Honey for a walk around the block, and I'd need a nap as soon as we got back.  It hasn't been fun.

This has been me.

So I've been slowly adding caffeine back into my diet.  A few weeks ago I started drinking a coca-cola everyday - and actually started feeling good again!  I could get things done!  I wasn't being a lazy bum and laying around the house all day!

Still, drinking that much coke isn't very healthy ...  so John and I started discussing options.  Coffee is out - although I'd love the energy boost that it would give me, I just cannot stand the taste.  As for tea - I'd never found a tea that I liked.  I like Chai Tea Lattes, but those aren't much healthier than Cokes!

This past weekend, I bought some Twinings of London Chai Tea bags, and started drinking that tea.  I'm not going to say that it's good - but it's drinkable.  (John says it's really good tea, though.)  I still need to add some cream and sugar to the tea, but I'm hoping over time to wean myself down.

The tea doesn't give me as much of a caffeine energy jolt as the Coke does, but it's more stable.  I can drink a cup of tea and get my work done.

I feel normal  again.  And it's wonderful!