150 Soda-Free Days (How and Why)

Firstly, much gratitude to each of you who've encouraged me to keep up the soda-free lifestyle.  Facebook posts, messages, hugs, even your own choices to do the same have been nothing short of fulfilling and inspiring in return.

However.  The following two points must be made before you read any further concerning the fact that I have abstained from carbonated drinks for 150 consecutive days.

1. It wasn't really my decision in the first place.  

2. It is not due to my strength and willpower that I continued after the decision was made.

I have battled headaches of all kinds since childhood.  Headaches from staying up too late, headaches from crying, stress headaches during college finals, etc.  Nothing too worrisome, and could usually be taken care of with ibuprofen, and eventually Excedrin.  Then, a few years ago, I began to get headaches whenever I was in the sun too long, or got overheated or even uncomfortably warm (And thus began my dislike of summer - but that's another post for another time).

It was late in August of 2014 that I finally told my doctor, received an official diagnosis of migraine headaches, and was prescribed a drug called Topomax (or more specifically, a generic called Topiramat).  Essentially, this was a medication to be taken constantly (two pills at night, one in the morning) to break the cycle of Excedrin Migraine in which I was caught.  Do this until around the holidays and then wean myself off.  The plan was to then only use OTC pain meds like Excedrin Migraine, Tylenol or ibuprofen as needed.

One of the unlisted side effects of this Topomax is that it makes any carbonated drinks taste weird.  And when I say taste weird, I mean the flavor is intact.  But the carbonation itself takes 2-3 seconds to "kick in" or, for my tongue to sense it, which is a very long time in sip time.  By the time it does in fact, kick in, it does so with a vengeance, almost as an aftershock, and makes up for the lost time.  It is not fun or refreshing in any way nor are the bubbles rejuvenating or crisp (which is what I used to love about them, nor as the soda companies intend them to be). Bleh.  

So.  While posting the "X-number of days Soda-Free" on Facebook has garnered its fair share of accolades and "you can do it"s, now you know.  It's a sham!  If it were up to me, I would be slurping down my afternoon Mountain Dew, drinking my weight in Martinelli's sparkling apple cider on special occasions (like Flag Day or you know, Tuesday), and ordering hand-mixed cherry Cokes at Red Lobster, because dang it, I hate seafood, that place smells like fish and I am having a steak and a cherry Coke.  

And now the holidays are long over.  I am not supposed to be on Topomax forever.  I can only imagine that an exit strategy is on the horizon.  Why?

Are you ready for another dirty little secret?

Topomax only worked for a couple of months.  I still get headaches anyway. As I sit here and type this, I am coming off Day 4 of a manageable ache on my right temple that nestled in right after a particularly rigorous workout.

So I can only imagine that the next time I go in to see my doctor, I am not going to continue with this medication.  And because I have no passion, desire, or burning affirmation that abstaining from carbonation has bettered me physically, spiritually or emotionally, I think the clock is ticking.

But I could be wrong.  There's a reason (well, several) that I don't have a license to practice medicine.  I'm just saying that if once again, soda tastes like it did before August of last year…well, there's a good chance I'll be satisfied with telling the story of that one time when I made it 150+ days without it.