Published September 19, 2021

Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, my doctor and I were discussing goals. My frustration led us to have a deeper conversation about healthy choices. When the subject of alcohol came up, she was blunt. “Drinking alcohol could be affecting you in ways that are keeping you from your goals,” she said. That was all I needed to hear.

There was a cold 12-pack of Corona (fitting, right?) in my refrigerator, plus a couple of loose bottles. The next night, I drank those two. “I’m done,” I told myself. And I was. The next day, I gave the 12-pack to a neighbor.

And that was that.

As of 11:18 p.m., I’m one year alcohol-free. During a brief break from work, I watched as the app on my phone that counts such things changed from 364 days to 365. Yes, I’m proud of myself, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. There were three days during those 365 when I wanted a beer or some wine, but other than that, the desire left me. Once I knew that alcohol was in the way of not only my health goals but also my transition goals, that was it.

My lab results showed dramatic positive improvement in a number of important areas a few months later, and there was another sharp upturn a few months after that. That helped me to stay the course.

It’s not lost on me that doing without alcohol or drugs is not as easy for other people as it has been for me this past year. I’m also mindful that it might get more difficult for me at some point. But I feel a sense of accomplishment, and I wanted to mark the occasion.

My next toast? Possibly butter and cinnamon sugar. Or maybe peanut butter. Or jam.

Thanks, doc, for the nudge.