quitting smoking

[Mona~on~wheels]

Colleen my ex husband was working and feeling fine except a nagging back ache.
2 weeks ago he got dizzy and was having trouble driving. He thought the back aching might be a bladder infection. So he stopped at the ER. Only to find out his body is ate up with cancer. His lungs, back, stomach, and brain and who knows what else.


The Dr. said you generally don't know about lung cancer till it's spread and it's too late.
If the thought that cancer cells could be eating up your body without you even knowing it, isn't enough to quit inhaling carcinogenic smoke, what is?

It's a matter of loving yourself, your family, your life enough to want to hang around and live it!

I've quit twice. 1st time around 10 yrs. 2nd time now nearly 20 yrs.
Each time I replaced the habit with bringing something to my mouth.
1st time tortilla chips & velvetta-salsa dip. Gained 15lbs. But lost it later.
Every time I wanted a cigarette I sat down and ate the chips & dip.
In 2 weeks time I was sick of the chips & dip, but no longer wanted a cigarette either. lol
Next time I chewed gum. Sugarfree Orbit. Still do for dry mouth caused by medicine.

I'm a control freak and resented even my own body telling me to do something (smoke) which I didn't want to do. I'd have talks with myself.
"I'm in control of my body and I will not smoke." on & on & on

The thing that helps the most from someone that smoked and quit,
is the fact that the desire does go away!
The overwhelming urge to have one gets weaker day by day.
By the start of week 3 it was really no big deal.

Start out by saying I can do anything 1 day.
Just 1 day.
Then the next day say I can do anything 2 days, a week, a month.
Pretty soon it'll be a bad memory.
You're worth it!
You'll feel so good being in control.
We have so little of that now.

Come back & post & keep us updated.
I won't wish you good luck. It's not a matter of luck.
I'll wish you STRONG WILL and CONTROL.

[dash]

I have never lost the desire to light up. I'll wake up in the middle of the night, reach for a cigarette then remember I quit. What a let down. I started smoking around 12 but by the time I broke my neck at 16 was already addicted. The hospital provided ashtrays, visitors smoked, nurses sometimes lit mine and docs smoked on rounds.
I got pneumonia in my early 20's. I sure learned how compromised my lungs were. I thought, perfect. I hadn't smoked when choking w/ pneumonia. I must be over the worst of it...wrong.
I lent my new car to a girlfriend as it was pouring rain and I was still getting over that 3wk hospt stay due to pneumonia. I got a call from hi-way patrol. My car had been involved in a wreck could I come to the scene? I got a ride and when we got there my friend who had been driving wheeled up to the window and soaking wet, crying said "I'm so sorry. and it was all my fault." Now, I was glad to see she was ok but was thinking I needed her to shut up about admitting everything while looking at my 1st brand new really nice, with all the extras hit on 3 sides crumbled car. It would have been totaled had it not been so new and costly. I then realised I was smoking. Apparently the friend driving me had lit one, handed it to me and I just automatically smoked no cough etc. So much for quit time #1.
Several yrs later, college graduate and working I started looking for a house to buy before my apt lease ran out. I ended up moving w/ my dog into my father's brand new house using his garage for storage. He hates the smell of cigarettes. I would leave them in the kitchen at night forcing myself to wait till I was up to smoke. Poor Pop, a few weeks after I moved in my youngest brother still in hs arrived w/ a suitcase and his Siberian Huskie. Apparently he "borrowed" lil'ist sis's car, smashed it into another then told Mom he did it cause she 'nagged' him to much. But, I digress. It took 6mos before I found my house but quit during my time at Pop's. He was so proud of me, a 1st. I decided I wouldn't smoke in my new house. This was way before people asked others not to smoke. You expected astrays on coffee tables, etc. One night my Mother visited. She left and I saw 3 cigarettes had fallen from her pack. While straightening up I made another coctail and began wondering if inhaling would bother me. For sure I thought, as it seemed so long since I stopped. Well, you know where this goes, I smoked all three. I then tried to keep it secret. I'd only buy one pack at a time. I kept them in my car making myself transfer and usually drive to smoke. I decided that was stupid as I owned my own home but was acting like a teenager. Mind you, all this I was competing and medaling in w/c track events w/ golds in the longer ones. I also swam daily. So, I decided to continue on buying the 1pk deal but made myself push up to the store a 1/4 a mile away. I loved that 1st one smoked prior to pushing back. Pretty soon I was back to my pack a day habit.
Years later on New Years of the new mellenium I ended up in the hospt w/ that horrendous flu that filled hospitals down the east coast. I was put on a vent. The hospital put nicotine patches on my arm. I couldn't talk and it took a few days to even notice them changing the patches. They were on me the whole time in there. When extabated they told me the hostp only had the full dose patches. I got the medium dose when I got home then the lowest then quit. I wanted to smoke morning, noon and night. I quit drinking beer and coffee. I quit calling people on the phone. I bought hard candy. The worst was talking to my mother. I love her but... She still smoked around me. I've been living w/ my sig-ot for 25yrs now so back then long enough. My Mom is into her hating men thing, they're all controlling and the reason I wasn't smoking was him (he smokes). She even bought me a carton to show him I didn't need him. Sick stuff. I ended up chewing nicotine gum when around her. I chewed it for years though I was using the low dose.
My final quitting has got to last. I am avoiding anyone w/ a cold. I'm avoiding my mother which is sad as I'm lucky to still have one. I got my 1st trach and was on a vent for 8mos. I've written about this before but broke a femur, caused a pulminary embolisn which caused respritory failure. I got every hospt borne infection, 2 stage 4 sores...
When finally home gave away the gum still here. I fought so hard to live, someone should shoot me if I ever go near any nicotine. I won't let anyone smoke in my house nor feel my lungs are strong enough to be in any smoky room or car. I still wake up and reach for one. I have never gotten over the desire, still don't drink coffee or beer. I like getting that smell when hugged by a smoker. I worry about my siblings who still smoke. Now that I don't smoke I seem to worry about everything. Still always have hard candy around, still trying to gain weight. Funny, some don't want to quit due to weight gain. I could use 10lbs. I hope everyone is successful in quitting. I have stopped many times please pray, this time, this quad quit.

[wazabiker]

Gave cigarettes 25 years of my life. Quit pre-patch era in 1978 after attending a one week no smoking clinic hosted by a local hospital. Have not smoked since.

Nicotine is very addictive and difficult to give up. Any help or medication a smoker can receive to quit is worthy. However, as most ex-smokers know, it is so easy to light up after having quit for moths, even years. It requires discipline to say off tobacco.