Hello all,
Once again, thanks for the support. In the grand scheme of things, today was a very good day for me. I went to the hospital and got checked out. I do have chorisis, but the doctor said if I don't drink it should get better. I also asked if I need medication, to which he said no. Now, this may not mean a lot to you folks in the Western world, but if a Japanese doctor says you don't need medicine, you don't need medicine (they get kick-backs from the drug companies). So for me, I had my last drink--sayonara!!
Oh, and so people can use me as a type of measuring stick, I've been drinking pretty much daily for the past 15-16 years of varying amounts, but always heavy. Within the past several years its been about half a bottle of liquor and 2-3 beers/day.
In the past few days I've already begun to feel much better. To anyone, tth and Zimmer specifically, I strongly suggest going to a doctor to get checked out. Not knowing will only lead to more anxiety (of which I experienced a lot this past 5 days), but you will know exactly what to do and where you stand medically.
Be glad you don't have to go through the Japanese medical system--5 minutes with the doctor, 10 minutes having an ultrasound (it took the nurse a minute to get my joke of "is the baby ok?"), and 4 hours 45 minutes of waiting--and I forgot to bring a book. The hospitals are like geriatric social clubs. There are no appointments and everyone has insurance, so the older people come in with minor complaints, chat with their friends, and clog up the system.
Anyway, I hope everyone takes care. We can do this!!