What is it about day 3 that makes things so difficult? Day 3 of a fast you contemplate taking someone else’s life so you can eat them. Day 3 of going back to school you wonder if this is really worth it to be successful in life. Day 3 at the gym your body is like, “oh we really doing this cause I’m about to shut down.” Day 3 of work, eloquently known as hump day, because if we can just make it over this hump we can finish the week! On that day you contemplate if you really need this job to survive your lifestyle or can you look like everyone else on Instagram traveling and going to dinner living off of thin air? Like what is up with day 3? I’m not into numerology or anything like that, but sweet baby Jesus I need an explanation.
I recently started a 20 day cleanse this week and on day 3 I almost took my own damn life! No seriously, this detox explains that you can experience nausea, cold symptoms, & headaches in the beginning because your body is releasing toxins and getting used to the routine. I breezed past that part of the pamphlet because that could never happen to me. In hindsight, I should’ve taken that more serious, maybe I wouldn’t have almost died. But anyway, I ignored those possible symptoms and started my cleanse. Let me break down the cleanse real fast, you drink tons of water, can only eat raw fruits, raw veggies and take 30 pills a day. Sounds like a lot, and it is, it really is.
Day 1, an adjustment to say the least but no problems. Day 2, what cleanse? I can do this, I am still eating, just not eating junk.
Day 3, where am I, who am I, why am I?
I started with a headache. You know the one where your eye ball starts twitching? Yeah that kind of pain. Then it grew to nausea, the kind that has you dry heaving in the bathroom. Yup, that is the one. After some time I started coughing & sneezing. My nose got runny out of nowhere, I could not blow it enough. After all of that, my throat swelled up and made it painful to swallow. I could not eat a thing, I barely wanted water. And I know what you are thinking right now, stop exaggerating! But no, I am being so honest that this all happened in 24 hours. I ran home from work and got right into my bed because I thought maybe if I lay down it will all just disappear. After about 5 hours of pain and nothing subsiding I contemplated jumping off my bed to end it all. Between peeing and not being able to swallow, I slept maybe 30 minutes. My body got no rest. I was just trying to make it to the morning. I could not even think about day 20 with day 3 making me feel this way. I was ready to quit.
I woke up the next morning on day 4 feeling exhausted. My first thought was forget this cleanse, let me make myself a egg and cheddar cheese sandwich with butter and jelly and get back to happiness. But instead I woke up and realized I was better. I finally could swallow, I wasn't nauseous, my head was still in a little pain but again I was not contemplating jumping out my bedroom window. I could not believe how I felt considering what it was like the day before. I went downstairs made my smoothie and had my quiet time that I committed to during this process. I sat down on the porch and laughed at the concept of day 3. It was brought to my remembrance all the day 3s that I complained about in life and it made me start to write this blog post. I realized as I was writing that I could make it, I can make it to day 20. If day 3 gave me all it had, I was prepared for the 17 days ahead. I don’t know the significance of the number 3 or what it has to do with pain and overcoming obstacles but damn it, who cares. We can finish whatever we start as long as we stay committed through the rough patches.
#dearday3 I’m on day 7!