For Whom the Bell's Toll

In the ongoing aftermath of my DVT, and subsequent drinking limitations, it has been a trial not to put a glass of something delicious and alcoholic to my lips. The trial was made all the more challenging by the fact that I didn't have a drop of the amber nectar for the duration of Advent - I thought I would lose the inevitable Christmas poundage in advance, rather than spending January dry, as has become my habit.

Effectively then, I have had a two month hiatus with regards to beer. Last week though the doctor said I could have the "occasional half pint", warning me not to "go crazy". Apparently the danger in boozing whilst on blood thinners is not just the extra thinness of the blood, but the possibility of having an accident and bleeding to death - not something I would relish to be honest. I was all set for my first post-op beer when the doctor rang to give me my weekly INR update, basically they tell me where in the therapeutic range for Warfarin I am. It was at the higher extreme of where they wanted it, so a change of dosage was required, and back in to storage went the beer, as I decided to give the new dosage a couple of days to bring the INR down a bit.

For those of you who know me well, such restraint must seem nigh on miraculous.

This weekend though, I could bear it no longer, and simply needed a beer in order to celebrate Liverpool winning the Merseyside derby, again, and Dirk Kuyt scoring against Everton, again. The beer I turned to was Bell's Third Coast Old Ale, a 10.2% big hitting, toffee laden, delight.

Bell's have become something of a favourite brewery of mine, indeed my final beer the night before the operation was their simply sublime Two Hearted Ale. Third Coast certainly maintained those lofty standards I have come to expect from Bell's, and to say a "half pint" (you have to love small bottles on occasion) of this magnificent beer hit the spot, would be the understatement of the year. If you are yet to try anything from Bell's then I recommend a quick trip to your local bottle shop and correcting your oversight immediately.

Today I had blood taken for this week's INR, assuming all is well, I am planning Budvar tonight.