DMD Tremens

Sometimes, working toward deadlines is pretty rough. I guess that's why I hate deadlines, because I take them seriously, no matter how ill-considered they may be.

After 11 days of reduced sleep -- started at 5 hours/night; ended at 2 -- and anomalously high caffeine consumption, I kinda broke. About a dozen hours after my last Diet Mtn Dew, my autonomic systems went haywire.

First, I got the shakes. Wow. I mean, what? It was weird. Terrible headache, shaking, weakness, fever, muscle soreness, copious sweating, the works. Did I mention terrible headaches? and shaking? and copious sweating?

At the time, I figured it was simple fatigue combined with mild illness (flu?). And maybe it was. But, my wife suggested it may have been a mental disorder. Really. She meant caffeine withdrawal.

There are a couple of serious lessons to be learned from this. First, better-considered deadlines; no matter how much urgency we may feel, I'm baking more time into each milestone, just to be sure. Second, sufficient sleep is mandatory. Third, caffeine is a drug.