Day 409...
I've been meaning to update my intro for awhile and the other day I got the nudge I needed. Two days ago I returned to work after two weeks of a wasted vacation that turned into a quarantine after my son tested positive for Covid. Long story short, I was reassigned to the unit with gastric tubes and tracheostomies where there is a new doctor who acts like the unit is an ER instead of a LTC facility. The day turned into one of those non-stop, no break days from the time I hit the door. Four hours into the hectic shift, I stepped outside for a minute to make a quick call to the wife. The very first unconscious thought that entered my mind as the cold air hit my face was, "Let me take a quick dip while I make this call." That brief thought was like a slap in the face. How could my brain even momentarily totally forget the past 400+ days of quit?
The answer is quite simple. The nic demon never sleeps. The simplest thing such as the stress of a hectic day at work and he's there in my brain knocking at the door. He doesn't recognize a day count or how many days you've stacked. He may lie dormant for period of time but he will always be there because I am a nicotine addict.
We can never become complacent...we can never let our guard down.
