Health, at what cost?

 I don't drink alcohol, and I am trying to quit smoking. To avoid all this pleasure is one way to go about life, as it portends championing good health. But at what point do we take eliminating vices too far? What is there to live for, if we don't engage in the activities that provide pleasure?

I am on a lot of medication for my bipolar disorder, which I take regularly, so I feel I am doing a good job of managing that illness. But my addiction to cigarettes is still a hurtle that I need to overcome. Then there is diet, which is another issue altogether. It feels like the quest for good health and healthy habits never ends. At the very least, if I can quit smoking, I will feel I have achieved something.

It's more about quality of life than good health and longevity, for me. The constant battle and being on-edge resulting from being addicted to cigarettes is a state of being I want to curb. I put on the patch yesterday and I immediately felt better, like I was doing the right thing.

I went on a mission to the pharmacy to try to buy more patches, but they did not sell NicoDerm. Rather than go all the way to the major chain pharmacy, which would have added 40 minutes to my time outside, I decided to buy one last pack of legal cigarettes and come home and order the patches from Amazon. I feel Amazon is the best way to get almost anything.