Holy crap! I guess you learned the hard way.

We are such a performance-oriented society, it's just sad how good folks literally WRECK their insides just to get that slight performance and/or look edge. There is just so much bio-chemical crap out there (both legal and illegal) that young folks do not even consider what long-term damage they are causing to their internal organs. I am living proof that you never have to take a single drop of steroids, or any of these "crap" supplements to get to a 400-pound bench/500-pound squat. Nothing but good old salads, tuna, salmon, eggs, and the occasional Protein Power Bar, plus a lot of hours in the gym. Slow and steady wins the race, and you also won't need a liver transplant by the time you're 50.

I see it every day in the gym: guys strutting around with over-inflated pecs and biceps who "appear" to be the picture of strength, health, and virility.(after a while it's easy to spot "roid heads" based on certain body proportions, as well as the occasional acne, and specific body odor). In reality, their insides are a "car wreck" with their endocrine systems struggling in vain to stabilize the right proportions of hormones and neurotransmitters. They deceive themselves that they've figured out a safe approach, with "proper" dosages, recommended cycling regimens, and so forth. Instant results, instant gratification, and success in sports and social life outweigh all other health considerations. And then a few years later, when they're doubled over in pain from renal insufficiency or can't walk a hundred yards due to permanent heart valve problems, they may or may not think back on those days when they wanted to be the "hare" instead of the "tortoise".