Ah yes, Aspartame. I do not tell this story in most circles, as I get "strange looks" from the people listening..........

I had severe lower back injuries when rear-ended in the fall of 1986. So bad I could not fly the last year of active duty in the Air Force. Fast forward ten years and I was drinking a lot of diet drinks. Two 44 ounce cokes a day (or Pepsi, whatever was available) and it caught up with me. I think it was a Friday when it felt like metal jaws were tearing the flesh off of my thigh bones (is that the Femoral Bone??). I called my Orthopod and told him what was going on, I could be ready for surgery in fifteen minutes. Never mind the operating room, I knew it would be booked, the back of my Chevy truck would be fine. Heck, the parking lot was ok by me. He told me it was not possible on such short notice and asked me several questions about my diet. DIET?? Holy Mother of God doctor, we have incredible pain here and YOU want to discuss my lunch menu??? Long story short, he told me Aspartame could cause such problems and if I were drinking a couple of 44 ounce drinks a day, that might do it. QUIT the aspartame. Under my breath I traced his ancestors to Darwin's "missing link" and was sure he got his license to practice medicine from a Wheaties box. My son-in-law runs a lab for a major Cancer Center and is into health food. He faxed me page after page of problems caused by Aspartame and convinced me to quit diet drinks all together. Aspartame was all that was available at that time. At least all I could find at a 7-11, etc.

By Tuesday the pain had went away and I quietly canceled my request for surgery. Heck, at its worst, amputation was becoming a thought...... now we all know I am exaggerating a little to make a point, but not as much exaggeration as you might think.

That was about ten years ago and I now drink Diet-Rite Soda, made my RC Cola (or whoever owns them by now). Other than that, I don't drink diet sodas. Period. I drink iced tea (no Equal) or I drink water.

I abused Aspartame and take the responsibility for it. Had I drank a couple of 12 ounce cans a day I might still be using it. I don't know. Every single one of us reacts differently to the environment around us. But if you have any doubts, research Aspartame and don't get blind sided. I don't trust any manufacturers of anything artificial. Anyone on this forum had darned well better start being a skeptic about anything we put into our bodies.
My personal problem is memory. I can't remember things very well, so when mrsD suggests some vitamin, I have to go back and read the thread a few times, write it down and then buy it. Frustrating for both of us, but if my body and brain were functioning normally I would not be perusing these threads for info.

I guess the old saying of, "We are what we eat (consume?)" was never more true.