Thanks. It's nice posting here. As you know I feel I'm in debt to this forum; if there is any better resource out there when it comes to PN I most certainly don't know it.

Alcohol... yes. Ironically, my cholesterol levels had gone up 9 months after a total stop. So I suspect this is mostly - as you know - down to the sugar. (and the rest of the diet)

Now I haven't given up on it totally: I still use it in my espresso (my current "addiction"), and I'm not ready yet to switch to stevia etc. I did try it, and, well, it will take a long time to get used to, and as dr. Lustig states: we don't yet know what it does long term.

But: I know exactly how much sugar I consume. At this rate it will be about 15 kg per year. That's still a lot, but it's also a lot less than previously. See, the trick is now to be able to keep it up without having the feeling I had to give up everything - so sugar in my espresso it is.

Needless to say: if the pain ever comes back it's the first thing to go, no doubt about it.

Also: I'm pretty sure the high dose omega 3 daily works its little wonders, and that's also something I will never give up.

Pain is a good motivator for lifestyle changes (for me) it seems.