Acute Pancreatitis with complications is a good mind-focusser.

I'm never going through that three-year hell of almost constant body-wracking pain, weight-loss (over 90 lbs) and major surgery (twice) again. Way back at the beginning the medics said "No more alcohol, it's a pancreas-killer", so I haven't touched alcohol (my former drug of choice, though only in a 'moderate' way) since 21st December, 2005.

It's been easy - I don't miss it, except when preparing Christmas lunch (miss the three or four Croft Original sherries), and on holiday (WTF do you drink in Greece if alcohol's out of the question? Diet Coke or iced coffee (no fruit juice because I'm diabetic). What a pile of crap!).