Let's see if this works.

For a couple months now I have been having problems with randomly feeling dizzy, shaky, and having shortness of breath. Nothing quite so serious as the weird case of bronchitis I had a few months back but definitely something that I would like to go away. Because of that recent bronchitis, I have had done just about every test that could be applicable to my symptoms and it looks like I am healthy as a horse. The doctors can tell me nothing and the problem just won't go away; in fact, it now shows up daily. I decided to take things into my own hands and try looking at the details of my daily life to see if I could figure out this pesky mystery. It didn't take me long to notice just who the little culprit might be... one of my dearest friends... Caffeine. dun-dun-dun...

I love caffeine. No surprise to those of you who know me. Actually, its not caffeine I love but the beverages that just so happen to have caffeine in them. I hate to admit this (and I know you will think I'm insane for this) but on an average day I will have 1-2 cups of coffee and 3-4 caffeinated sodas. I know. It's terrible. Please no lectures. It's not that I need the caffeine, because honestly I don't even notice the effects of it anymore, but its just that the taste of soda always sounds so much better than any other option. The picture to the right shows me at my family's Hawaiian timeshare happily holding my "free refill" soda cup. That week I had more sodas than I could ever begin count.

After coming to this totally obvious realization about myself this afternoon, I decided to look up the effects of caffeine to see if I had found my culprit and *ding*ding*ding* we have a winner! My symptoms. described. to. a. T.

So, as I sit here drinking my 2nd coca-cola of the day, I have decided to give up caffeine for a month (starting after I finish this soda of course). Bummer. But honestly, I would trade a few cans of coke for my near daily panic attacks anytime. I am allowing myself one exception: I can have one cup of coffee each morning. I really do need a cup of coffee to get my day started off right, not to mention it will help a little with caffeine headaches that I am surely in for. After one month (on February 20th), I will re-evaluate my symptoms and see if caffeine was in fact the problem. Do you think I figured it out? Fingers crossed... Oh and here's a fun fact to end with... not buying soda for one month will save me $75 to $100 (at least!) I'd say that's a pretty good chunk of change! Wish me luck!