So, you want to Quit Smoking...!

Quit Smoking everyone! Misery loves company ... and my name is misery these days! :cool:

Here's the story ... my beautiful wife and I have quite smoking ... two long time smokers. Over 30 years for me and about the same for the wife, all told about a 5+ pack a day household! We smoke ... but not anymore! aahaahhaahhhhhhhhhhhhh :eek:

Today was day 18 ... DAY 18!!! And you know what? We're o.k., it is really strange and odd. Must figure out what I used to do with all my time! :o

Here's what I've gleaned thus far from the experience...

1) Hate it but not that horrible if you're ready...
2) Still want a smoke! Of course... but you must understand. It's pretty much that you're an alcoholic, only you're jonesin' for a smoke not a drink. Maybe it'll be less so in time ... but there will always be moments when I'll begin to reach for a smoke. It'll always be there ... but I am the master now.
3) I'm the cold turkey type ... for the wife's sake we snagged some nicotene gum and the patches too. I don't like the gum at all ... patch is o.k.. (more on that follows)
4) The gum, you can't just chew on it continuously... you chew it for a short time, very short... to get a fix. I'd chew less than a minute and I'd get the hiccups and it would feel like my throat is closing up. Yeah, gimme more! NOT.
5) The patches are o.k., seem to ease the "wanting" but have found that it's best to pull them before going to bed. Bothers my sleep ... and sleep is good!

And I'll add more later ... but for now, it's just flat out late! Quitting smoking is good ... who do you think I'm trying to convince there? :D

I might join ya someday. I’m getting tired of being a second class citizen and watching all the money go up in smoke…Then there’s the fact that it’ll be 30 degrees here today. Was 57 degrees yesterday and smoking outside at work is cold….

GOOD LUCK!

wean off the patches slow, I was a 35 year smoker, off them for 18 months now but thought I didn't need the patches and got crook from the sudden nicotine loss

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steve R Jones

30 degrees here today

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It was 37 degrees here in Sydney today.

Celcius !!

26F here when I awoke. Up to 29 now.

I gave up smoking a good few years ago (I don't remember exacly how long). The first 3 days were hell, then after that I was completely cured of my addiction. I couldn't believe how easy giving up was (for me anyway, I realise that many people have a really hard time of it). I've since heard a lot of people say that if you can just get past that 3-day hump then most of the battle is won.

6C (42.8F) here in London :(

I've stopped for a couple months, twice. I think the fulcrum of it is, I didn't really want to stop. I was doing it on a dare.

It's extremely easy to quit smoking. :eek: Staying quit is another thing.
I quit 20 years ago and was a 3/pk/day smoker. More is playing poker all night.
One day while watching Hill Street Blues I saw my cig pack with two cigs still in it. I picked them up and crumbled them and said, "I quit!!!!"
I have my own theory and do not preach to anyone about smoking or drinking but if one asks me (they do all the time) I give my little input.
I believe that if a person wants to quit something as these, there can not be no iffy, shouda, coulda, woulda of, or small steps down to quit. It has to be in you conscience mind, you sub-conscience minds, and un-conscience mind that you will do this with and's, if's or butt's. This worked for me and have never had the urge to go back. The same went for drinking about 8 years ago. I had a little incentive on the drinking stop since my Mom died from drinking and killed her liver. I swore I would quit on her birthday, I did and have not regrets or wanting.

Naturally this is for me only and everyone has different ways to deal with it but if this may help someone, good.
I wish you all the luck. :cool:

Smoked since I was 16(1954). Quit a couple of times for a few months over the years. Went back to it for no 'good' reason each time.

Then came Jan. 2005. Discovered blood in urine. Feb. began a month long series of tests. Finally sent to a Urologist at end of month. Found tumor in bladder. He told me that more than half the cases of bladder cancer are related to tar and nicotine in the blood stream. Then I came across this web site: http://blcwebcafe.org/

March 2005, threw away all tobacco related items including ashtrays. Mine wasn't so much of an addiction, as it was a habit. As others say,about 3 or 4 days and the addiction was gone. Not so the 'habit'! Everything you do makes you reach for a butt. Get in the car,pour a cup-o-joe,finish dinner,etc-etc. . Began looking for a substitute. Found mine. Spangler candy co's lil' lollipops called 'dum-dum's'. It worked! You'll find them in my shirt pocket,on several tables around the house and on the dashboard in the truck. Call me Kojak if you like,but it took the place of a habit that was obviously going to kill me. (and the aftertaste is MUCH better :D )

Spent the rest of the year with the Urologist who did biopsy's,chopped out a tumor,then treatments on a weekly basis. One more biopsy on the 15th of this month. If everything looks ok, then i'm good to go. Except for having to go in for followups every 6 months for the rest of my life,'cause this particular type of cancer has a habit of coming back if not checked for regularly. But(and this is a big one),at least now I may have a longer "rest of a life" to look forward to.

I'm hoping this post will get some of you smokers into a mind set that will help you take charge and do what's needed to get you off the "weed"...

Thanks for reading :)
Kell~~~~

Quit in my fifties - never looked back. Started running and got to ten miles this year. Pulse in the low fifties. BP excellent. Feel good.

Here's what you do - keep the mind and body exercised and you will live well for the time you have. (No big medical bills either).

And anyone can do it. Just start real easy. If in doubt check with your doctor.

68yrs now and others older in their 70s are running marathons in the Dallas Ft. Worth Metroplex. Next year I want to run in a couple God willin' and the creek don't rise. :) :)

Good points by all ... although I'm not going to get into the running thing greengoose! ;-) Never been one much for that ... but have a Bowflex that's getting more use! And the 6 to 10 inches of snow and freezing temps (14F now with a low of 0F tonight) don't help.

I have found the quitting to be a bit easier than I initially thought ... even then it's still a difficult thing. Yet I have noticed a number of benefits ... can smell and taste better now, although the increased blood flow has caused a few minor nose bleeds. That's the only negative I've seen though regarding blood flow, as it usually does a body good!

Found this list on the 'net shortly before we quite ... quite interesting regarding what happens to you when you quit!

Within ...

20 minutes - Your blood pressure, pulse rate, and the temperature of your hands and feet will all return to normal.

8 hours - Your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.

24 hours - Your risk of a heart attack will have decreased by 50%.

48 hours - Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal.

72 hours - Your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites will now have passed from your body via your urine. You can also expect the symptoms of chemical withdrawal to have peaked in intensity. Your bronchial tubes are beginning to relax thus making it easier to breathe. Your lung capacity has also started to increase.

10 days to 2 weeks - Your brain and body have now physically adjusted to again functioning without nicotine and the more than 3,500 chemical particles and 500 gases present in each and every puff.

3 weeks to 3 months - Your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared. Your overall lung function has improved up to thirty percent.

1 to 9 months - Any sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath have decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean, and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy has increased.

1 year - Your excess risk of coronary heart disease has dropped to less than half that of a smoker.

5 to 15 years - Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.

10 years - Your risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is now half that of a smoker's.

15 years - Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked. Your risk of lung cancer has decreased by 80 to 90%. Your overall risk of death has returned to near that of a person who has never smoked.

Quote:

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It has to be in you conscience mind, you sub-conscience minds, and un-conscience mind that you will do this with and's, if's or butt's.

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Should read:
It has to be in your conscience mind, your sub-conscience mind, and un-conscience mind that you will do this with no and's, if's or butt's.

Good luck, Abhoth. You can do it!!!! ;)

Know what you mean Nick ... you really need to be "ready" and give yourself over to it. No pussy-footing around when it comes to quitting!

Day 21 today and still good to go ... so over the worst of it in theory, now just dealing with the "habit" and the fact that we humans don't really like to deny ourselves of things!!!

Four days from now and I will have been quit smoking cigs for 4 years!!
I have to say though that I loved them so much that I could be just 1 cig away from becoming what I now detest being until 4 years ago. I quit BEFORE being diagnosed as "COPD". Believe me, if you can't breathe, you can't live. For the first 70 years of my life, I was one active dude. Now, very sedentary but, hey I am breathing. At times it is very difficult but I ain't complaining cause my wife and family are "helpers". I am not an invalid by any means--I continue doing what I want to do, I just don't do a great many of the things I formerly did--no golfing among many of my former indulgences and living on a great golf course(1 of 8 championship courses in our city) does not make that any easier!!!!
If anyone reading this is still smoking, let me deeply encourage you to QUIT NOW. Good luck to you.
BTW, cold turkey is hard but I reccomend it. It ain't an easy thing to do.

If you really want to, you will. If you really don't want to, you won't.
I see that in people smoking through the hole in their throat from cancer.
"A hole in my throat ain't gonna stop me. I'll (choke, choke, wheeze, wheeze) show them." :o
From the sad but true real life. :cool:
Good luck to all that accomplish what they feel is necessary.
(+ or -) :rolleyes: