What Happens to Your body if you stop smoking Right now?
July 19, 2006 by Liz Lewis
Filed under Cancer, Greatest Hits, Prevention, Your Body
I think one of the main reasons it’s so hard to quit smoking is because all the benefits of quitting and all the dangers of continuing seem very far away. Well, here’s a little timeline about some of the more immediate effects of quitting smoking and how that will affect your body RIGHT NOW.
- In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
- In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
- In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
- In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
- In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
- In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
- In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
- In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
- In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
- In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
So, you have more immediate things to look forward to if you quit now besides just freaking out about not being able to smoke. Quit now!
Update: 6/11/07
You can view a high-quality Graphic representation of this post right here.
Update: This make you think it’s time to quit. Check out these 5 Smoking Gadgets That Might Help You Quit Smoking.
Really want to be serious about quitting? Click Here!
[tags] smoking, cancer, quit smoking [/tags]
going cold turkey, this is day 1, useing pepermint candy, feeling ok.
I have tried quiting many times with no sucses. Last Tuesday Oct 6 I went to the dentist because of a tooth ake i`ve had for some time he endded up pulling a wisdom tooth and told me not to smoke for 5 days while the extracted tooth hole heals . He informed me that if i drink from a straw or smoke there is a posability of creating a dry pocket, from what I have read it sounds very painfull and wanted my wound to heal without problems eack and every time i wanted a smoke I thought of this and instantly no longer one
Today is 8 days without a single drag from a smoke an I`m finding it easyer as the day go by to bo without.
I still feel like having one but i tell myself I need to heal first (My tooth) kinda playing mind tricks on myself but it seems to be working I only hope I will be able to keep it up.
I used to always say If i could just go 1 day I know i could beet it. I have smoked since i was 15 years old I`m 44 now and I smoked 1.5 packs a day thats 37 to 38 sigs a day. If I could do it Im sure anyone can.
Good luck Randy.
This is a reply to Randy with the tooth ache.. CONGRATULATIONS on surviving 8 days and seeing today is the 16th hopefully you’ve survived 11 days. You are absolutely right in playing the mind tricks because that definitely helps with getting past each day. I know because I quit smoking 3 ago cold turkey and all thanks to a little mind tricks hehehe.. I recommend you purchase a book called ‘Easy Way To Quit Smoking’ by Allen Carr. That book alone helped me get through this and I can say I’m loving being free!! I’m no longer tied to a stupid stick that controlled my every move.. you must feel the same way too Randy now that you’ve survived this long, hope you’re still off it.. it definitely gets alot easier.. just keep at it!
All the best, Michelle
I quit 3 weeks ago*
17 days after seeing the mad russian hypnotist and still going strong, still miss it but it is going good, had my first drink tonight and didn’t even think of smoking.
Randy,
Hang in there. I just pasted my 6 month mark without smoking. Before you know it, you will be here as well. I still want one, but not as much as I did 3 months ago and 3 months from now I will want them even less. SO WILL YOU. Think of the money!!!! That helps me.
I qiut 2 years ago. Who cares about the money, your health is more omportant.
I am with you Jamie, Money helped me too. If we were all as worried about our health as we should be we would have put them down long ago.
keep going with the mind tricks – it worked for me. I started 3 weeks ago by refusing to have a cig before I went to bed. Then, the next morning I told myself I could wait and have one at lunch. Then at lunch I told myself I could have one when I got home from work… I haven’t had one yet.
I am 28 years old and i have smoked since i was 10 years old. i smoke at the least a pack and a half a day. And i agree with everyone else. mind tricks is the only way to do it. I keep telling myself i’ve quit even though i want one like crazy. i just keep saying that every time i have a craving…”well thats silly, you don’t need to smoke, you quit.” anyway. no sig.in three days, we’ll see how it goes.
Hi again folks,
Our page is still screwing up the order of posted comments (more later). I think I see exactly what is going on, and thought I would try this experiment to test whether I’m right. If I’m correct, this post will appear just below tony’s comment of 13 October 2009, and just above Amer’s comment of 30 June 2009.
What seems to be happening is this: The ENTIRE LIST of comments that starts with Amer’s comment of 30 June and goes – sort of chronologically – to the end of the list of ALL comments keeps getting moved just below every new comment that gets posted. So as you read down the list, you see this sequence of comments:
…, previous new comment, new comment, Amer’s 30 June comment and what followed it.
To the end of the list. I’m not familiar enough with how linked lists like this are normally written in html to recommend a specific programming fix. But what IS clear to me is that this pins down the trouble spot. It shouldn’t be hard for a good IT person to fix it.
PLEASE DO! Thanks from all of us….
–Bill
p.s. In the unlikely event that someone else (let me call him Ichabod) posts a comment while I write this but before I post this one, then of course that will affect things slightly, and the long Amer list will appear not after tony’s post, but rather after Ichabod’s.
Hey! Seems my guess was right. Let’s hear it for experimentation!
Dare I walk through this door yet again ? Yup…I’m back. It’s only been a few hours without a smoke, but I am trying once again.
Once again, I was diagnosed with bronchitis — but this time the doctor said ” I will give you all the medications you need to help you clear up your non-stop coughing…but until you actually decide to quit smoking, your lungs are just never going to improve, and they will only get worse. Then he said to me ” you can live with bronchitis, which eventually is going to put you on an oxygen tank…or you can count your blessing and throw out your cigarettes today and give your lungs a break. So I’m back AGAIN…..hopefully this will be the last time I have to go through this. Am I ever going to learn my lesson ? It only takes 1 puff and I go right back….So why do I get so dam cocky and think that after a week or so of quitting that I’m able to have just one ? grrrrrrrrrrrrrr I hate having to do those first 4 days…they are absolute hell for me…..but here I am, back again.
Hi Debra,
I guess “welcome back” isn’t quite the right greeting here, but glad to hear from you again anyway. Good luck on those awful first five days – they were pure hell for me too. But it’s five days out of the rest of your life, and the fraction
(five days)/(rest of Debra’s life)
is a VERY small number!
Good luck Debra. Yes the first 5 days are hard. Even weeks after that. But just keep in mind the longer you go the more you refuse to go back. I have been smoke free for 4 months now and when I am around it I still think how nice it would be for me to smoke along with my other 5 friends, but I do NOT give in. Then I wake up the next day and am very proud of myself for not. Again yes it is a hard journey but you can do it. Drink lots of water and just try and stay away from the things that make you crave.
Again, Good luck and even if you do give in then stop again and again until you have quit…
Hello my friend,
I’ve been looking for you here. I’m in the same boat. Tomorrow I go to my cardiologist and I am sure he will be preaching to me about quitting smoking. I think we both went back after a while at the same time. Debra, let’s do it again! And this time it will be forever. What do you think?
I do wish you quit smoking as well as I do for myself.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn !
Glad to see that you’re still posting ! I is SO depressing sometimes. I went through my teens and twenties and even thirties thinking that I had all the time in the world to quit….now the time has caught up with me and it’s affected my health for certain ! I can’t stop coughing; the doctor says the bronchitis is going to clear up and keep coming back if I continue to smoke. Oh my poor lungs ! Good luck at the doctor’s and let me know how you make out !
Today is Day 2 for me…and I’m hanging in there all over again.
Bill — thanks for your continued support !
Hi Debra,
How are you feeling today? I hope you are past the worse part of quitting. I went to my cardiologist and he was very upset that I was smoking…again…my blood pressure was normal, surprisingly. I did start to cry telling him that I am very depressed because I smoke. I am the only one who could make myself quit again. As of right now, I am still smoking, but I think the more I read these posts, the more motivation I will receive to stop again. FOR GOOD!
Debra, good luck this time around. I remember when we both quit at the same time and started again the same day. All it took was a few cigarettes and all those stupid excuses. Keep it going!
Marilyn
Hi Debra,
How are you doing? I have just two weeks left until December 1. I cannot wait to quit that day!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here.
God bless you all.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn !
I’m doing well. It’s nice to hear from you. It’s been well over a month now since I quit; but I have had 3 slips so far. I smoked a cigarette on three different days last week. They tasted terrible and I only took a puff or two and then threw then away. I didn’t buy them; they were from a friend. It’s still hard for me. Each time I slipped/smoked, I realized why I did it. CONTROL. I’m a bit of a control freak, and I like to think I have control over cigarettes….and that I can smoke one and I’ll be fine. I am playing with fire and I need to learn that lesson; somethings I have no control over; and nicotine is one of them. Nicotine controls me and the only way I can regain the control is to continue my quit. Cigarettes were my friend, my escape, but mainly I used them to control anxiety. Whenever I’ve been upset, that’s when I reach for one. I thought I was in control. Truth is they were controling me.
So ya, congrats to me…but I’m still struggling here.
On a nicer note though — I’ve saved over $250 and that feels so great. I’ve started my Christmas shopping and I feel like it’s all free !! Because that money would have only been sucked down into my lungs.
I’m going to be watching and waiting to hear from you on December 1st. It’s the big day (right ?????) Once you get through day 4 you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. It’s really not that hard; it’s just a royal pain in the ass sometimes to get through the withdrawals.
Enjoy your day
Debra
Good to hear from you again, Marilyn! I think that all these notes in reply to Debra make an important point: Despite the fact that we are only imperfect creatures, we are keeping our quits going – one way or another. If it means starting all over again, then okay, that’s what needs to be done and we will do it. What’s important is that we don’t slip back into a pattern of regular pack-a-day-or-more smoking, and forget about our decision to quit as a personal gift-to-ourselves.
If we slip, then okay, we’ve slipped. Bad of course. But all that means is that we have to go back to ground zero again, and that can be tough. If our slip has lasted several days, or worse, several weeks, then going back to ground zero is going to be much tougher. But we HAVE to do it. We’ve dismissed it (the idea that we HAVE to quit) for too long, and now it’s time to FACE UP.
So stay on it, Debra. I think it’s possible to control those slips, but maybe this is not the spot to talk about that – getting through those first five days is numero uno for you right now.
Stay with it!
i think you need to toughedn up. it is ridiculous that you are going through this….i have smoked 20 years…the health problems i started having made it a no brainer. i told myself one night that if i cant beat this i would never be able to accomplish my dreams or goals as i would always know i could give up. i wil not give up. and NOTHING will ever have more control of me than i do of myself …save God alone. it was a mental and slight physical fight..still is here and there. but its nothing to knowing i will not be a victim of the poison big tobacco sells us. i will fight….till my last , clear breath.
Toughen up? Ridiculous that we are going through this? Well Chris, I have to tell you (as a 20 year smoker that you say you are) that I have been there as a 40+ year smoker, and I can assure you that for me at least, quitting has NOT been easy.
Thanks for telling us about your superior-sounding high-minded principles, God included. But in fact, quitting smoking is itself – all by itself – very hard. Whether or not you acknowledge that the difficulty exists, it is very, very hard for some of us.
You seem able to make judgments easily, and that must serve you well. But hey, tell us this: How long a quit do you have under your own belt? Ten hours? Ten days? Ten weeks? Ten months? Ten years? Makes a difference doesn’t it? Tell us that FIRST, and THEN AND ONLY THEN preach to us about the rest of your ideology.
Thanks,
–Bill
Hi Bill.
Great post to Chris. I do hope he isn’t smoking for his sake. Well, my December 1 quit date is only a few weeks away. I have been preparing for it, quite scared I might add. My husband suggested the date for him too. I just wish I could post here from work. All the more it will help me through each day. I guess I have to wait until the evening to write about all my feelings during the first few days of my quit. I’ve done it before, I can do it again! Actually, it’s not even a matter of doing it, it is a matter of keeping the quit going.
I haven’t seen any posts from Debra or am I missing something? Is Debra, Lori and Vai still with us? I admire them very much.
You have a great evening and I will be back soon.
Marilyn
Debra has a post around the first of November. Scroll down to find it.
Good job! You can do it.
Today is day 8 for me! No smokes:)
My dad quit smoking 25 years ago but was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. The process of never-ending oncologists and horrific treatments was enough for me to quit cold turkey, I don’t ever want to put my children through this nightmare.
I smoked for 25 years. If I can do it, anybody can!!
Ask your doctor to prescribe Champix tablets and read Allen Carr’s book Easy Way To Stop Smoking. They’re working for me. I’m off them 15 days and I was on 40 a day.
Thanks Don for the advise !
Sometimes I do the nicotine gum; it works for me during a really hard time. Sometimes I might use 2 or 3 of them in an entire day. At this point, it’s anything that will work for me !
I just hate hate hate doing this….I really feel that I am missing something…there is a void…and the void is taking that long drag off of a cigarette, but with the bronchitis I have right now, I’d only going into a coughing fit and those are horrible for me. I’m staying strong.
Hey Marilyn…have you chosen another date yet or have you already started ? I’ve lost track of these posts since they don’t seem to stay in order.
i have been of cigs since yesterday 2pm and i think it is getting easyeir i usually smoke about 35 a day
How are you doing Aaron? I hope you are still off the cigs.
Hello to anyone reading this, especially Aaron.
I quit, that was the easy part. It has been now 4 days since I said goodbye to my evil best friend. Yes, my enemy and my friend.
I want to put on here what I experienced…first 8 hours, I was going strong, still confident. 12 hours in, I was extremely irritable, retreated to my room for solitude, did not sleep all night. 24 hours in, anxiety, so bad, needed my friends for support. Stayed busy, walked a lot. Ate a lot. 48 hours in, my withdraw symptoms are peaking…I can’t sleep, I’m tired and restless at the same time, my hands are shaking, I’m hungry, I’m dowing water, searching the net for relief things to try, I am very, very, very irritable, I am dizzy. I STILL don’t give in. I tell myself WHY, I came this far and suffered this much, why CAVE now.
Day 4 today….I feel better about my decision than ever. I was able to get some sleep last night. I am able to control my appetite today. I can sing along to the music. I am generally feeling happy, the way I felt as a smoker.
Do I still crave….very little…do I avoid the smokers..absolutely not..cause I don’t want to smoke, it does not tempt me..the thing that tempts me is my own brain.
For all of you on here talking about why you caved. All if it FEAR, I can relate. But, if you can quit smoking, you obviously have great self control. So, don’t worry about gaining weight…you can control it. You can be around your friends that smoke, because it is only your mind that tempts you, not them, if you are committed that part of your mind in control will not even want the cigarette. Accept change, I smoked for over 20yrs, I fear not the change of letting go of my evil friend. Instead I embrace the rewards of putting my friend away forever.
I can tell you this, I know myself..and after suffering as I did, I know I will never smoke again. The pain made me see just how addicted I was, pathetic!!!
So, if you fall, keep trying…NEVER GIVE UP!!! Keep telling yourself it will pass…the pains will pass…walk your butt off, that is what I did.
Happy Today
Hello Everyone!
I just stopped to check and see how you are all doing. I had one of those smoking dreams again last night and it was like I was actually smoking a Marlboro Red! I remember taking like three drags off of the cigarette before thinking that I was not going to be able to breathe later on…thankfully it was just a dream. I encourage you all to keep strong in your quit! I am still using a nebulizer 2-3 times per day with three different medications, including a steroid. I also have to sleep with an oxygen condenser because I lose oxygen at night. I think it is called sleep apnea and I KNOW IT IS FROM SMOKING.
I can never smoke again if I want to breathe. I have been a non-smoker for quite a while now but I guess I am proof that the smoking dreams do not stop. Hang in there everyone!
I have been a non-smoker for 1 Year, 9 Months, 1 Week, 3 Days, 21 hours, 23 minutes and 31 seconds (649 days). I have saved $2,437.08 by not smoking 9,748 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 2 Days, 20 hours and 20 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 1/4/2008 11:59 PM
Dear Vai:
Thanks for posting. You certainly are an inspiration to me. I have bronchitis and the doctor’s told me I was headed towards needing oxygen as well in order to breathe. It’s so dam scary. Today is Day 3 for me..and I’m doing okay. As much as I would really LOVE to go buy a pack, I know that it would just create one giant coughing attack, and for me, those attacks usually end up with me vomiting just to catch my breath. I can’t believe the damage cigarettes do; and yet I can’t believe the pleasure they give at the same dam time. For now, for today, I am choosing to breathe. My cough is a little better today than it was yesterday, and the tightness in my chest is just about gone now. I do like not smelling like a cigarette.
Hang in there everyone. And a note to Marilyn: GIRL…WHERE ARE YOU ?
Hang in there yourself, Debra!
Hi Debra
I figure I will have a craving off and on for the rest of my life but that is what I get for smoking cigarettes for 38 years of my life. I too had that non-stop cough and I was sooooooooo tired of it. The pain in my lungs kept getting worse and worse. Quitting the cigarettes was one of the hardest things I ever did in my whole entire life but look at me now – 21 months later and still hanging tough. I only used the patch and gum for a couple of months. I still am paying for all that smoking with the daily nebulizer treatments and the oxygen use but hey, I stopped before it came to the point where I would have had to have one of those backpack oxygen tanks! Now I see people younger than me with those backpacks. There is one guy I know here in my community that sits on the oxygen condenser all day while chain smoking. I no longer can be in the same building as cigarette smoke. It really affects me! But keep strong! I know that if I can quit smoking then anyone can! I will pay for my addiciton for the rest of my life by living with COPD….You just have to find other ways to deal with your stress rather than smoking a cigarette….Love and prayers to all of you having a hard time today as you show your lungs and body love by abstaining from the evil cigarette! Bless You!
A year nine months? That’s very impressive Val. Congratulations!
Actually, I’d be quite happy to have pleasant smoking dreams myself. Maybe we can’t do it, buy hey, we can dream about it can’t we?
Hi Folks,
i have been a smoker since i was 14 with five years off when i was 28. I am now 44 and have decided to quit for good. I am lucky in as much as i have the support of my other, some would say better half. However i would like to offer a comment to anyone trying to give up using NRT (Nicotine Replacement Threapy).
I for one would gladly have taken the nurse who was administering my prescriptions hostage and killed her entire family if i thought any of them was hiding 20 bensons! The NRT didnt stop me wanting to smoke, and so return i did to smoking.
I am cold turkey again this time (as was the first), 48hours in and i’m already feeling better, if only the cotton wool round my brain would hurry up and drop off
Hi there, Marilyn, Debra, Lori, of course, Bill and all the rest of us in Non-smoking land. I can only say to you first three ladies, You are Great!!! My brother finally quit after at least a dozen tries and he drilled it into me that if you are going to quit go with the not one puff rule. I’ve had no problem sicking with this until just the last week and I guess because I’m feeling a little cocky with not having had one in 6 weeks, this week has been just horrible for thinking (not all the time, mind you, but often enough) that I could probably have one and it wouldn’t hurt. Now I know better, so I’m hanging in there but it is good to know that many other people get the same feeling. At this point, I flatly refuse to go through the first two weeks ever again and even though you guys have tried and tried again you have really helped me by knowing that I’m not alone in thinking “Just one”. You will make it cause you’re determined and when the will is there the “done it!” can’t be far behind. I have been able to get this far with the help of Champix (I believe from reading some old entries that the name is Chantix is the U.S.). I doubt very much that I could have done it cold turkey, that has to be a really rough road. Yes Bill, I’ve had some wild and woolly dreams, but since I’ve gone through two years of dreams of my husband going somewhere and I can’t go with him (I mentioned that he died of cancer two years ago) these seem pretty tame. If I dream of having a cigarette I take it as a good thing cause I’m only having it in my dreams.
Keep the stiff upper lip ladies, you’r smart enough to know the cancer sticks aren’t doing you any good and you WILL MAKE IT!
Talk to you soon. Judy
Hi Judy,
As long as you quit, it doesn’t really matter how you do it. Here in the US we do call it Chantix. I took it when I first went back smoking two years ago and it does work. The problem was that I, too, was cocky and thought that I could have a cig. I was dead wrong! I started right back up. For the past two years, I have tried a few times to quit cold turkey and sure enough, it worked for me until again, after a few weeks, I thought I could have one. Nope! So, here I am depressed about smoking and have lost my desires to quit. I am hoping that by reading everyone’s posts and receiving all the kind words of encouragement that I find my next quit date. Hopefully, it will be real soon.
I know those feelings you are having, but don’t give in to the cancer stick. You will be sorry if you do. You have come six weeks into a quit and those urges should come and go really fast. Just take deep breaths when you have the smoking urge. It is almost like inhaling a cigarette! The clean air feels really good on the lungs.
I would love to hear more about your quit. We all learn from each other.
All my best,
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn;
Glad you’re back with us and thinking about getting your quit started again. Some people can get a quit going by just telling themselves “Okay, RIGHT NOW I do it!” – but not everyone. I remember when you did it before, you set yourself a definite quit date, and when it came, you followed through! Why not set another date for yourself – the sooner the better (tomorrow?), since we’ve all already used up our slack.
It worked for you before (until your quit-ending slip-up), and it can work for you again. Once you get it going, you can arrange goals, like getting through the first five days, then ten days etc. Sure those first five are the worst, but remember this: every morning after one of those terrible days you get to wake up knowing you held out the day before. And THAT is a depression-squelching thought!
Good luck.
Hello to all !
I think picking that “quit date” is incredibly hard.
Because it’s a committment; and once you start, you start thinking ” Oh shit, why did I do this, I should do this next week instead. Next week will work better than today”. I’m laughing as I type this because that is what happens to all of us.
I quit 5 days ago, and I already regret it…LOL. I hate this, I hate the whole dam thing. I wanted to go to a store yesterday, but I was so afraid that I would stop and get a pack, smoke just 1 and throw them out. I just want 1 dam cigarette, and then I’ll go back to the quitting. Well, I don’t trust myself to even go out right now, so I had my husband take me to the store. So I made it through day 4…and today is day 5. Honestly, I don’t trust myself right now. I explained this to my husband (an ex smoker for 20 years) and he is very supportive.
Vai- thanks for posting, you are really helping everyone with your experience…we need more folks like you here because you’ve been there !!
Marilyn — don’t worry if you’re not ready…Try not smoking after 7 p.m….and start off slowly. You will see that you can go a few hours…then change it to 6 p.m. you’ll suddenly start to see that you can accomplish being smoke free for a few hours at a time…and then those hours will turn into days…hang in there…
Good morning Debra
I do want you to know that I went through hell when I quit smoking and my family was along for the ride. My son was the subject of a lot of frustration when I quit because he was the only one here. I used to get so mad and say Im just gonna smoke a cigarette now…he would call his sister up and say what do I do cause mom is gonna smoke a cigarette. I did everything to help myself stop. I ate whatever and whenever I craved. I slept countless hours because I was depressed without my smokes…but I am here today proof that it can be done! I kept a pack of cigarettes stashed in the freezer for over a year thinking that if I absolutely HAD TO SMOKE they would be there but I never broke into that pack at all and have since given it away. Please know that all the pain and frustration and craving is so worth it when you are comfortable with not smoking again! Love and prayers to you and y’all hang in there!
Hi Debra,
How I know what it’s like to pick that stop date and be free from cigs for weeks, months, years. I am feeling a little better in my mind to soon come to another quit date. It seems that the first three days are easier than the next few weeks. Isn’t some time in November the country’s smoke-out day? Once I find that date, I just might choose it as my quit day.
I hope you are feeling better today from not smoking. Keep it up. You have done it before and can do it again. Just think of that first day…and now you’re here already! Best wishes Debra.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn:
Yes, picking that quit date is really hard; but it does sound like you really want to do this, but perhaps you are afraid. I know I was panic’d the day I drove home and decided not to stop to buy another $9.00 pack of cigarettes. How I did it, I think it was just because I didn’t feel like stopping. The moment I got home, I regretted it immediately; so I ate what ever I wanted that night. I told myself that in the morning, I could get a pack on the way to work..but I didn’t. I found some left over nicotine gum and chewed that on the way to work instead. I tok it one hour at a time; and I’m just about to complete Day 5. That’s not huge, but I have noticed a huge difference in just 5 days. My cough has calmed down considerably I’m still eating whatever I want (and I do enjoy that part). I find dark chocolate really works for me. Of course, I am not nicotine free; I am using the gum. Target sells their own brand for $30.00 and you get 107 pieces !!! It’s best bargin and it does help when the cravings get overwhelming.
If someone is reading this, please please refrain from telling me the horror stories about nrt’s…I know there is nicotine in my body…but my lungs are happy right now and I am able to take a deep breath again without coughing..so please no lectures
Hi there! I found this site today to look up positive effects of not smoking, I quit on March 1, 2009 and I am proud of making it 7 1/2 months so far! I am 41 years old, and smoked on and off since I was 18, usually about 1 pack a day. I quit for 2 years before, then slipped by thinking I can have just one and it would be ok… it is not ok for me, I was (scratch that) I am addicted to Nicotine. My thoughts are that for the rest of my days I will be an addict of this poison, and it will alwayse be a strugle. Now that I have some time as a non-smoker, I can breath again, I am working out to loose the few extra pounds i gained, and my friends, family, coworkers and girlfriend all are so proud of me! The positive effects are rapid and substantial, I want to live to be an old man, but in the mean time I want to enjoy my days NOW ! Smoking robbed me of not only money, but my self respect, appearance, health and not one damn good thing ever came from it. I used nicotine gum to quit back in about october of ‘08, but slipped up. This time it was just stopping cold turkey, with lots of water and juice. I hope this story helps someone out there in the world, God Bless!
Greg
April 28th of this year I smoked my last cigarette. Chantix the second time around did it for me. Also I chewed lots and lots of sunflower seeds. Yes its kinda disgusting having to spit all the shells out but having something always in my mouth really kept the cravings away. I’m 35 and have been smoking since I was 15. When I quit I was at 2 packs a day. If I can do it everyone can. Best of luck all, God Bless.
Hi,
Everyone this is my second time quitting, i did try about 4 years ago and quit for 6 months but then went out on the town had a few smokes and got back on them but im definatly quitting this time but man its bloody hard its been 18 hours without a cigarette and im struggling but ill be fine im sure, its nice reading everyones comments
I think quitting is easy (I’ve done it dozens of times)…okay, tacky joke i know.
I’m on Day 6 myself and some minutes are better than others. I wish everyone well in quitting. I think we all enjoy hearing tips and ideas (and even rants and raves once in a while).
This journey is certainly not easy; I keep telling myself “Just one cigarette will put me right back where I was”. For me, that place is not a good place either. Cigarettes are $9.00 around here, and I have gotten to a place where my lungs can’t handle the smoke anymore. When I quit, I was having chest pains, wheezing, coughing so much sometimes I felt like I was going to pass out !!! The doctor said I had bronchitis, and really gave me the lecture on what would happen if I continued to smoke. Today is Day 6 and I can take a deep breath and I am not coughing as much. The medication has really cleared up my bronchitis; and the no-smoke-in-my-lungs has made a HUGE difference. I feel like I am being given a second chance.
I am from CT — and when I USE to go into a convenient store, I would pay $8.90 per pack. I’m curious, so I will pose this question to everyone.
“What do cigarettes cost where you live ” ?
Wow! day 6? That is wonderful Debra. Take a nice deep breath for me because I am getting closer and closer to finding a quit date again. It looks like we’re neighbors. I live in MA and I paid $8.30 for cancer sticks today. I don’t have to be a genius to figure out how much I spend a week, month, year for those stupid things. I want to quit so that I can save my money for a nice vacation next year. I also want to return to the gym and lose the 30 pounds I gained in the two years that I started back to smoking. There are so many things to be grateful for in life.
I wish you the best and again, congratulations on day 6.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn:
Yes, tomorrow will be 1 week for me. That’s if I make it through tonight..heheh
Come on Marilyn…You have to join me ! Misery loves company..You can do it. Just smoke your last one after you read this post…and then just stop. The next time you want one, put it in your mouth, but don’t light it. Just pretend that you’re smoking. The craving only does last a few minutes, and then it’s gone. See how long you can go without lighting that cigarette. Watch the clock, count the minutes that you are doing. Minutes turn into hours, and then days and then weeks.
I’m here for ya girl. It is hard, it actually is very hard…but you can do this. i know you want to do this too, or you wouldn’t be posting here….so come on girlfriend…stomp out that ciggie and join the rest of us !!!
P.S. have you ever tried nicotine gum ?? It does work for some; I love the stuff ! also, consider asking your doctor to put you on welbutrin (an anti-depressant…that seems to really aid people in quitting). Depression is hard, I have dealt with that before…but being smoke free is really a very good feeling…you feel more in control of yourself and less dependent on those cancer sticks. Write me back…I want to hear from you !!!
Debra,
Thanks so much for motivating me. I am one who cannot quit right now. I have to set a date so that I can prepare myself to quit. For some reason, when I have a quit date, I become very happy and excited that I will be quitting. I will let you know the date as soon as I get the courage
Debra, I am so damn proud of you for quitting this long. You got it made friend! From now on it should be much easier for you. The cravings won’t be so bad as they were this past week. God bless you!
Keep on posting so that I get motivated by you.
Thanks so much and keep it up!
Marilyn
Marilyn ( LOL ) Would you like me to pick the date for you ?
Hmmm let’s see. Let’s say that on Halloween night, you will smoke your last cigarette. You can even dress up for the occasion.
Dress up as a very poor old woman, and put an fake oxygen tank on your back…and draw a black hole on your neck (that resembles a Tracheotomy. Draw some dark circles under your eyes, oh and paint your fingers yellow, so it resembles nicotine stains. For an added affect, cough every couple of seconds and of course, have a cigarette hanging out of your mouth. Wear a shirt that says ” Happy Halloween, I’m a smoker ” When you take off that costume, you’re done being a smoker.
Sweetie — this was meant in humor. And LORD KNOWS I should be the last to preach to anyone for smoking. I’ve only got 7 days under my belt right now, and although that’s wonderful…nobody knows what tomorrow will bring (not even me). I’m just hanging on hour by hour and it’s a struggle…but I’m okay. So come on and join us all in quitting….It’s cheaper to sit and write on your computer than it is to smoke.
I have been quit for 1 Week, 1 hour, 11 minutes and 45 seconds (7 days). I have saved $64.84 by not smoking 140 cigarettes. I have saved 11 hours and 40 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 10/14/2009 7:30 AM
Debra, Congrats. I am also proud of you. I use the quit keeper also. I love it. Keep up the good work. Marilyn, you will get there one day hopefully sooner than later. Debra, keep on with pushing Marilyn that’s what friends are for.
I have been quit for 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 3 Days, 9 hours, 42 minutes and 8 seconds (146 days). I have saved $527.05 by not smoking 2,928 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Week, 3 Days and 4 hours of my life. My Quit Date: 5/27/2009 11:00 PM
Hey Debra: the image you conjure up of Marilyn’s in her Halloween outfit is hilarious. What a great way to make use of those gross-out TV ads.
We’re all ready for you to set your quit date, Marilyn!
Debra,
You are so funny! Believe me, I did not take any offense by your suggestion. In fact, I just might take your advice! I wish we can share pictures. hahaha
I remember the last time we quit together in September and only lasted a few days. But look at you now! Seven whole days and you’re still strong. You must be extremely happy…God bless you!
I will continue to post each day and let you know my progress. You, Bill and Judy have motivated me to at least think about another quit date. I’ll quit on Halloween. Please please please pray for me : )
All my best,
Marilyn
Good morning to all !
Okay Marilyn…Let’s shoot for Halloween ! It’s a none fact that quitting is a scary thought (so Halloween would be the right time)..
Here’s something to think about: Perhaps you go to bed each night at 11:00 p.m. and perhaps you wake at 6:30 a.m. During those 7 hours, you did not have a cigarette. Assuming that you smoke a cigarette each hour of the day (like I did) how come we don’t wake up on the hour with the urge for a cigarette ?
When you wake up the day after Halloween, tell yourself ” I JUST WENT 7 HOURS WITHOUT SMOKING ! Then take it from there….Just being up for 1 hour of the day, will turn that 7 into an 8 !
Keep posting ! And make sure you get a quit keeper. Quitting is super hard, it sucks, I hate it…but I’m taking it one minute at a time cuz that’s all I can handle right now. Sometimes I try to post something funny, but there really is nothing funny about this…It’s hard to do, but I use Vai’s post (above) as an inspiration…I think I’ve read her post 100 times ! If she did this, then so can we.
And to Bill — how long ago did you quit smoking ?
Debra
I have been quit for 1 Week, 1 Day, 1 hour, 40 minutes and 7 seconds (8 days). I have saved $74.23 by not smoking 161 cigarettes. I have saved 13 hours and 25 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 10/14/2009 7:30 AM
Debra, in reply to your question, I started my quit near mid-April, using Chantrix. That didn’t work (I continued to smoke while using Chantrix), so after a couple of weeks more I stopped everything. Since then, it’s been cold turkey except for the slips. So it’s about six months for me – more or less.
Bill –
WOW six months ! What are some of the things you do to fight the urge ? I am in major sugar overload today; It was hard for me today, so i got some candy and now I’m feeling sick to my stomach…chocolate and whatever other sugar I could eat today, I ate. I need a better idea than sugar…yikes ! I know the “urge” only last for a few minutes, but those few minutes can be hell at times. I start to think ” WHY did I do this…what was I thinking”. But I’m into this for 8 days now, and I’ve saved almost $80.00 which is nice, but I’m just having a really cranky day and I’m wondering how you (and anyone else who would care to answer this) handle those really tough times ?
I am happy and proud that today is 8 days for me….but seriously, I hate this and I think I’m going to log off my computer and just go to bed.
Debra
Hi Debra,
With everyone posting here – you, Lori, Vai, Bill, and Judy I am now very excited about my quit on Halloween! I thank you all for helping me with this.
I wish I could post during the day but I work and am not allowed to use the websites other for work. It’s state government, you know? So I do look forward each night to come home and read everyone’s posts.
Debra, how is it for you today? Any easier?
Marilyn
Hey Debra,
You’re in the absolute worst of it still – the first ten days. You’re past the first five – the ABSOLUTE worst – but you’re still not quite out of the woods yet. So stay strong and get a FEW MORE DAYS under your belt! After a couple of weeks, the craving leveled off for me, but the urges (as opposed to craving if that makes sense) have NOT gone away. The urges are becoming less frequent and less intense with time, but that’s all I can say about that.
Re urges to smoke: Some have said in posts here that the urges disappear at more-or-less six months out. Not for me they didn’t! And in fact, I have given up the idea of eventually being free and clear of all urges to smoke. As I said earlier, my wife still gets urges after 25 years! Strong ones. Other former smoker colleagues have told me the same thing. So I am trying to get used to the idea that I will ALWAYS have infrequent urges to smoke – for the rest of my life – hopefully not too intense. It’s not a happy thought, but hey, it’s not so bad that I can’t live with it.
What helps? This varies a LOT with the individual, I think. For me, once I got past the intense craving of the first ten days (the HORROR of it in other words), little things did begin to help with the urges. For example, deep breathing (as if I were inhaling a big puff – actually pretending that’s what it was) seemed to help; and to be completely honest, a glass of wine in getting ready for dinner helps a lot too. There are a couple more I guess, nothing profound.
What about concentrating on work? I worried a lot about this at first because it seemed that whenever I worked (and concentrated seriously on something), I got urges to smoke. That’s because over so many years I had got smoking all mixed up with rewarding myself – for work related things – in my own head. So I worried that I wouldn’t be able to work anymore without smoking. For me, that’s serious stuff. Fortunately, it turned out not to be true – today I had a very productive day without awful urges (though there were a few, so I can’t say none). But it has taken MONTHS to get where I am!
Food, candy etc.: I try to avoid putting stuff in my mouth to substitute for cigarettes unless it’s completely “safe”. That’s because I’m slightly overweight and don’t want to make it worse. Of course, smoking is much worse for your health than a few extra pounds, so this “rule” isn’t cast in stone. And some might opt for the other direction here.
Some people (like my doctor) have preached to me about exercising. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure doc. But so far at least, I still sit around a lot and have NOT morphed into a muscle-bound paragon of physical perfection – with veins popping out of my arms and legs to amaze you, and with sweat dripping off my jock strap. Not in this life, doc!
Anyway, as I recall it Debra, you had a long-term quit going before (am I correct?) in which case you probably already know much if not all of this. The main thing is: Keep on your quit – any way you can – and keep focused on the BIG prize!
–Bill
p.s. to Debra and Marilyn,
Debra: Yes – go to bed when it gets bad. Absolutely. Sleep it off! I’ve spent LOTS more time in bed these last six months, and it has helped me a lot. Time is important – you want to get lots of it behind you. Later on, you can make up if for losses if you have to.
Marilyn: Go for it on Halloween. Terrific idea!
I enjoy all your writings. Are you still having just one cigarette a week? God bless you if you can do just that. I tried it back in June when I started again after two months but I shortly went back to the pack a day
Colin says#
I have tried to quit loads & loads of times without success until i met my friend i haven’t seen for 25yrs. I was shocked to learn that he had lost his leg down to poor circulation through smoking. Well from that day which was the 12/10/09 i have not had a fag since,i should have given up long ago as I’m a diabetic but this was a good enough reason to go ahead & try.It’s been 8 days now & i didn’t realise that it was fairly easy, I’ve been smoking for nearly 29yrs I’m 43 now so something or someone had to push me into it. Already my chest is feeling better, Ive got more energy already & my blood pressure has come down with great affect which is helping with my diabetes. So anyone thats going to try give it a good go, i forgot to say,stay away from a glass or two it will help you in your quest.
Hello again,
I had a slip last night and thought I’d try to purge it from my psyche by writing about it here. We’ll see if that will work. This may be a long post and I apologize for that, but some things need to be explained.
PREFACE: When I met my wife about 25 years ago, she had just quit smoking and was popping little pieces of nicotine gum into her mouth every hour or two. She had been told by her doctor that smoking was no longer an option for her if she wanted to avoid chronic and possible fatal long-term problems in her bronchial tubes. She had been a heavy smoker, but she stayed with her quit all these 25 years. And throughout most of that, I was a pack-a-day smoker! But even now, after 25 years, she gets VERY STRONG urges to smoke sometimes and has to deal with them, occasionally slipping. Like last night.
MY ANECDOTE BEGINS: Just before going to bed, our conversation turned to some stressful stuff that she had been having to deal with at work (she’s a public health researcher with a loosely defined group of 20 people or so, at various levels who do various things). One person – a postdoc who works for her – has been behaving strangely for months – filing dubious (even paranoid) harassment complaints with the parent company’s administration etc. It is clear that he has an untreated psychiatric problem, but unclear about what if any action my wife (or her colleagues) might take to improve things. And for sure, nobody wants to deal with a law suit, even if it’s frivolous. So pressure has been building.
And last night as we were talking, what does she do but pull out a pack of cigarettes she had bought earlier and announce that she was about to smoke one of them! What could I do but take one too? We both took two or three puffs as we contemplated our failed virtue, and then recovered our senses and put them out. We were both afraid of wrecking our quits (mine is only six months – but it seems like forever), and therefore we knew that we HAD to get rid of the rest of the pack. So we systematically destroyed the remaining ones and then went to bed, feeling vaguely guilty.
I know, I know, for some this represents a dismal 100% failure for both of us: We had not just lost the battle but the war – it was TOTAL DEFEAT – there are no shades of grey because we’re talking character here. Either you have it or you don’t – switches are either ON or OFF. Consequence: We’re now doomed to return to habitual smoking because of our FAILURES OF VIRTUE! But hey, at the risk of sounding edgy, I have to say to all the sanctimonious Calvinists out there that this morning, both of us felt no guilt at all about our slips last night. ZERO (while I freely admit that I may be morally decrepit, my wife was raised Catholic!). And after a good night’s sleep the underlying problem with the crazy guy seemed less daunting too.
What’s more, from past similar experiences (for both of us), we both knew that we were NOT going to buy another pack today. We just chalked last night up to SHIT HAPPENS. There is no way I will buy a pack, lose my quit, and go back to regular smoking. And I am not going to beat myself up for the slip either – an occasional slip doesn’t matter a whit so long as I can get back “on the wagon” immediately – and when I say that I mean immediately and not a day or two down the road after a pack or two or three. Sure, there’s no question that slips are risky business. But it helps me enormously to keep my eyes on the prize – which is that I want the rest of my life to be free of habitual smoking. I think it is that, plus the fact that now I’m apparently REALLY ready to stop smoking, that keeps me going on my own six-month-old imperfect quit.
Thanks for listening. Good luck Debra, Marilyn, Lori, Judy, Jimmy, and all the rest. And BTW, here in northern CA, cigarettes cost around $6+/pack but going up all the time….
p.s. A bit of trivia: My wife reports that her cigarette tasted good last night. Mine didn’t.
Bill, you made my day! You are so full of personality it isn’t funny…Hey look, it was a minor slip. You didn’t go out and buy another pack today so I’m sure you will get over it soon. I do think that the guilt plays a big part in whether or not we go back to smoking. I know it did for me. I felt as though I was a failure so I might as well continue to be a failure. By the way, your wife’s job sounds extremely interesting.
I wrote to Debra to tell her that I am getting closer and closer to finding another quit date. I had lost all motivation to quit but am feeling a bit better now and wanting to quit soon.
Keep up with your posts as they are very interesting and funny! Take care Bill, keep it up as you tell all of us. You are a winner in your battle.
Marilyn
Bill,
I think you nailed it “Shit happens” and that’s what life is all about. Personally, I think that if you smoke 1 now and then, and get right back to quitting, it works for you. I have a friend who can smoke on Friday and Saturday nights and then not touch one for months. Everyone is different, and we’re all doing the best we can here.
My concern is does this method work for your wife ? Geez, it would terrible for her to go back smoking; or even think that she can do what you do (have 1 once in a great while). For most, that method is the road to failure.
Next time the stress gets overwhelming, remember there are better ways to handle stress. Turn up the music as loud as you can, and the 2 of you dance for 15 minutes…When my children were small and everything was out of control (boys fighting) and I was at my wits end, I would turn up the stereo and just start dancing….At first they would laugh at me…then eventually they would join in …and before you knew it, nobody knew why we were all so stressed out. Life is hard, no doubt about, but smoking doesn’t make anything better.
P.S. God, 7 days under my belt and I’m already feeling like I have conquered quitting..Honestly, I go hour by hour…and when the stress at work gets to me, I put on my i=pod and blare it for 10 minutes to a great song.
So Bill tonight, dance the night away. Smoking is only going to make one of you leave the earth much earlier than need be. Dance while you can
Hi Debra,
I couldn’t agree more: it would be awful for my wife to go back to smoking after 25 years.
On the other hand, while I guess I’ve described this as a “method” in previous posts, it isn’t really a “method for quitting”. It’s really a method for controlling slips (which seem inevitable for me, unfortunately) and getting right back on my quit.
Dancing? Hmmmm, gotta think about that.
Two weeks and counting!!! My husband & I both quit smoking. He uses a nicotine patch and I went cold turkey; and we are still going strong. It helps greatly, as far as successfully quitting, when you have a smoking companion to do it with. I’ve tried to quit several times in the past on my own with or without nicotine replacements; but always fell back into the bad habit because it was continuously around me. But we are both determined to be healthier for ourselves and the children. I’m so proud of my husband (and myself) and I can definitely hear the improvement in his breathing; no more audible wheezing.
Best Wishes to all.
Hello all.
I have some advice and some tips. I have quit successfully before for a year but found that when times are tough, it’s my crutch. I have smoked 20 years this year minus one in the middle.
When I started smoking again, I knew I didn’t want to continue forever because when I had quit, I never got sick, I could breath forever and my clothes and car smelled great.
So, when I wanted to quit again cold turkey, I did these things for the last couple of months in preparation.
I switched to American Spirits Ultra Lights. I already went through withdrawls from chemicals since they have no added chemicals. My sense of taste and smell returned.
Then, I quit smoking at standard times and ‘tricked’ my mind by never getting on a routine except for one at 10am (my first break). Smoke in the car once, not the next time. Smoke on the way home one day, wait till I got home the next, etc. Smoked after a meal, waited three hours after, etc. So by doing this, I was setting the scene for habit kicking. As we all know, the nicotine may be gone but it’s the actual habit that keeps us smoking.
So then I went into different amounts I smoked per day. 3 one day, 7 the next, 2 the next, 9 the next. Never getting used to an amount.
Yesterday I told myself I would allow myself one a day after dinner.
Amazingly-I only craved a cigarette twice yesterday. Once at the 10:00 time and once in the afternoon. I smoked one last night when I didn’t even want one by smoking it in three intervals.
I haven’t smoked today, haven’t wanted to smoke today and am done. No withdrawls except for a little bit of fuzzy thinking. Everything seems louder and stuff but that’s probably the extra oxygen.
Good luck to all. I’m just throwing out tips. This is working for me for these first couple days which are the hardest.
Quick question, does anyone else get really bad nightmares and can’t sleep the first couple nights? Waking up feeling like you’re gonna die? I have in the past and haven’t yet but I’m not ruling them out yet.
Narcy:
That’s an interesting way to quit, and hopefully that will work for you !! Post again, I would love to know how this is working out for you !
Seems we all have our own little way of getting to the “prize” of being a non-smoker.
Hi everyone. Marilyn when you pick your quit day give us minute by minute comment if you want and we’ll send you all the encouragement in the world. You know you can do it and you will! Just don’t beat up on yourself, IT IS HARD.
I had a fun week my brother- in-law had what one Dr. said was a valve in his heart that needed fixing and another that he was having a flare up of pheumonia that he had had in the past year that he hadn’t seen a Dr. for and therefore, had a bit of infection come back. They are pretty much convinced now that he has both so first clear the infection and then an operation on his heart. I probably don’t have to mention that he’s a life long smoker. He and my sister are watching me and cheering me on so I think they’ll give it a try when he’s through all this. I do know that they have to quit together or don’t try. Keeping my fingers crossed for them.
I do know enough to not bug them about quitting. I sometimes think I might have quit years ago if it hadn’t been all the self-righteous A–H—s telling me to. There’s something about having a person who’s never had a cigarette in
his/her lifetime saying “nothing to it, just put it out,” that makes my blood boil!
For the gentleman who’s friend had lost a leg. Probably Reynaud’s Disease, I used to visit a lady in a Retirement Home who had lost a leg from that, I had a touch of it in my hands (going dead white when cold), but am not having a problem now. It is directly attributed to smoking.
Price of cigarettes $9.25. Should be incentive enough all by itself never mind all the other things wrong.
Anyway, keep up the good work. And Bill, I’d think three puffs once a month or longer can’t even be called falling off the wagon. Think of it as just reminding yourself how awful they taste and why you are not going to start again.
Hi Judy,
Thanks for writing. Did you read Debra’s comment to me about Halloween? I haven’t responded yet but I think it is a good idea and also it’s hysterical! I think I might have October 31 as my quit date. It’s a week away and gives me enough time to plan my quit. So sorry about your brother-in-law but this is what happens. Also, I have read a lot about Reynaud’s Disease and it is directly related to smoking. I have read about people who lost arms, legs, chins, fingers…oh it is terrible.
I am having a little fun on this side of the screen too. My son-in-law will be having his spleen removed on Monday because he might have lymphoma. My sister was just diagnosed with breast cancer. It seems that everything is crazy here. I have to be strong for everyone, but I rather do it without wanting a smoke.
Yesterday I paid $8.30 for a pack of butts. I live in Massachusetts (taxachusetts) lol lol
Thank you so much for your encouragement and I will continue to post each day.
Marilyn
Marilyn.
It has been 3 months for me and I am loving everyday I don’t have a cigarette. It really does get so much easier with each passing day. The benefits of being smoke free are staggering. The money I have saved is about $600 but that is such a small amount compared to the freedom I now enjoy. No more smelly clothes, breath and nagging cough. It is wonderful and my health is so much better. You will be so glad you quit.
Jimmy
Hi Jimmy,
I had quit for 15 years so I know how you feel. I started up again two and a half years ago with just one puff. Now, I regret every single day that I smoke. It’s horrible!
Please pray for me that Halloween will be my last day of smoking. It is very scary (Halloween too lol lol) to quit knowing how I will feel those first couple of days. But as long as I get myself reeducated in what smoking does to me, I should be fine. Or should I say…I WILL be fine and dandy.
All my best to you,
Marilyn
This is a test. Marilyn’s latest comment appeared in the right place – and that’s the first time that has happened in weeks! Hopefully, some IT person has fixed the problem. To test that, I’m posting this as a comment, which should appear right under Marilyn’s post of Oct 22. We’ll see….
Didn’t happen, too bad. Marilyn, if you can recall the details, would you tell us what (exactly) you did when you posted your latest comment of 22 Oct?
HI Bill,
It seems that not all posts have the reply option especially if there is a thread on a particular post. I wanted to reply to your post to Debra yesterday but there was no reply option so I replied to one of your prior posts. I really don’t understand how this site is set up but it is very confusing at times. Take a look at some of the posts to see where the reply option is located. Some have it, some don’t.
Thanks so much.
Marilyn
The reply option appear to get turned off after they reach a certain depth in their nesting (reply to reply to…etc.). Four or five. That’s not a problem for me.
But there is definitely something wrong with the ordering of comments on this site. It calls for patience, patience, patience, …. Aaaachhh!
Ya, I agree it is frustrating when you post something, and then find yourself having to look everywhere for responses (if any) to what you posted.
I posted to Bill earlier today; but I don’t even see that anywhere.
I am going to do some sewing tonight. Something just to keep busy – But I also have the feeling that I will go to bed early again tonight. My husband has promised to “babysit” me all weekend long…still can’t be trusted yet.
Hey..good news…I took a super super duper deep breath today…I mean I really filled my lungs with as much oxygen as possible….and I didn’t even cough ! I couldn’t do that a week ago. I’m done with the candy now…instead I’m just taking in as much oxygen as I possibly can. It feels good to !
Hugs to all
Debra P.S. I’m starting Day 10 tomorrow !!!!
Hello again all you nice people. In order, yes Bill it is very annoying that the posts don’t go on in order. Keep having to go through them all to find the new ones.
Debra – cranky day. Yes lots of those! I bought a little dog (well, he doesn’t realize he’s little cause all his friends are huskies, german shephers etc) When I have a really cranky day he loves it cause we go for one or two or even three walks. Seems to really help – good for keeping my weight down too. When I get the candy urge, I keep a few beer in the fridge, candy really doesn’t go with beer. I really wouldn’t give a darn about the weight except, one of my daughters and I have had a trip to Hawaii planned for almost a year and I really would like to fit into some kind of a bathing suit, also I don’t want to embarrass my grandson (thirteen) too badly. I’m looking forward to a plane flight where I won’t be counting the minutes til I can have a smoke.
Marilyn yes I read Debra’s suggestion for Halloween and I, too, think it was priceless! I am sorry to hear about your son-in-law and sister. On the bright side (if there is such a thing when you’re sick) both of their problems have a very high cure rate now. Life just seems to go on with its problems doesn’t it? I hope you can keep October 31st for your quit day but if it doesn’t work out, we’re still here for you whenever you’re ready.
I had a real eye opener last night. I was making one of my favorite dinners, smoked Alaska black cod which it takes about 2 weeks to do. Another favorite is smoked salmon which takes about the same time until it’s properly smoked when I thought “My God, this is what I’ve been doing to my lungs for 50+ years and they are actually ready to forgive me.” Somehow I had never really thought about smoking from that angle! An incredible work of engineering these bodies of ours. I can’t believe how we abuse them.
Keep those posts coming, I love them. Oh and by the way seven weeks tomorrow and I really didn’t think about smoking except in the morning when I had my cup of coffee. Didn’t take any time to get rid of that thought.
Judy
Hey Judy, almost two months is great! Sounds like you have made enormous progress.
I agree about our bodies. They’re such incredible machines – much more than machines of course – and they can do such fantastic things so EASILY. Delicate things (pick up a toothpick or even a hair) powerful things (throw a pair of shoes dangerously close to Dubya’s nose in Baghdad). He he – just a joke – no politics please!!! Over and over, we do all these things every day without even thinking or even being aware of what we’re doing every waking second. What a gift we’ve all been given – to say nothing about the gift of our existence itself! I am not a religious person, but this amazes me and it makes me think how stupid and short-sighted I have been for more than 50 years to smoke 20 cigarettes every day. And that thought is another one that helps me stay on my quit!
Keep yours going too, Judy. Any way you can.
Judy — congrats to you ! Keep posting, folks like you help us all to continue in the right direction !
Ya, I did have a cranky day huh ? I’m okay now. Today (Saturday) was tough too…but I’m still hanging in there. I have discovered that going to bed a little earlier isn’t such a bad thing. I felt great the next morning !
Well, I don’t have time to do my usual rant and rave…cuz it’s time for bed, but I just logged to share my “stats” with everyone. I have saved $100 !! That is just unbelievable to me !! I’m in shock over that.
Hugs to all, Debra
I have been quit for 1 Week, 3 Days, 14 hours, 5 minutes and 11 seconds (10 days). I have saved $100.57 by not smoking 211 cigarettes. I have saved 17 hours and 35 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 10/14/2009 7:30 AM
P.S. Marilyn…get prepared. It’s been my experience that when family and friends need you the most…they need you healthy and strong. Once you quit, you will see how much inner power and strength you actually have. I’m praying for you
wow! everyone’s comments definitely help to know that i am not alone. shoo! man, i thought i have been going completely crazy here. i had my last cig tuesday (10/20), and the first two days were ok and i have had help from the patch…then wed-sun (today), it’s been full blown mood swings, jitters, can’t stop talking, all the way to droppin f-bombs at anything that looked at me. it has suckkked! on a positive note, i can smell. i can taste yummy food. when i jog or go to the gym i have had more energy and it makes me feel better. i have been filling the void with sugar-free gum and lots of tea, water and coffee. probaby should stay away from the caffeine, but i don’t care right now. i have a love/hate relationship with cigarettes, and miss my good buddy the cigarette, but man i don’t want to be the only smoker any more and have to think about when my next cig will be. i have saved over $30 today too! not bad. thanks for all of your posts and reminding me that i am not entirely crazy. when will that go away???? ughhh…melville
Hi Melville:
You can see from some of my prior post, that I do refer to quitting as “it sucks”, cuz it’s so hard to do. I’m starting Day 12 right now, and as the days go on, it gets a tiny bit better; not by much…but it does get better. I am no longer coughing, and I’ve saved over $110 already.
Get a quit keeper. Google QuitKeeper and download it. It will give you your stats on how you’re doing. I start my morning by looking at it, smiling…and then I end my day looking at my stats and I’m still smiling !
Here’s my stats:
I have been quit for 1 Week, 5 Days, 1 hour and 22 minutes (12 days). I have saved $110.91 by not smoking 241 cigarettes. I have saved 20 hours and 5 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 10/14/2009 7:30 AM
Hi everyone!
So glad I found this place… I’m on day 13…. and feeling okay. Logged on here though after a phone call with my 82 year old Dad… definitely a trigger for me… wanted a cig sooooooooo bad. Made a cup of tea instead… and tried not to feel deprived. Thanks to all for sharing your stories, courage and advice… it helps more than you know.
Best,
Trix
Hello everyone,
i have quit smoking oct 1st so been one month 8 days second time i quit cold turkey one time before i had my children and then 94 went though devoce and started back up dam me well anyway i quit again being sick helped with flu i had ithurt to smoke but i kept at it had to take puff once in while just one to make me feel like i got smoke to make my brain think so anyway lol.. so oct 1 quite now i do have my days want one but its getting less and less i found out fresh fruit ,water,cranberry juice which replaces suger in your blood so you dont get the though of cig.. lmao it help becuse friut is good for you juices, so why not get as much as you want i also try suger free puddings,suger free jellos so i watch my weight to not gain.. if this help anyone.will never go back to smoking my mom died of lung cancer dont let it happen to you to late then to stop think about it have great day email anytime let me know how youall doing.. txdream47@yahoo.com bye bye darlene
Hey Debra, Bill, Lori, Vai:
Where has everyone been? Just a few more days until my quit date. I’ll write more tonight after work.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn !
Ya, we are all still here, it’s the board that is a little messed up; but atleast the October posts seem to be in order (although they should be posted on the bottom of the page, and not the top). Oh well…whatever, sometimes you just have scroll through and look for today’s date.
I’m on Day 12 ! I am amazed that I have come this far, and I’ve saved over $110 already. My cough is GONE and I am loving every moment of that. I quickly discovered that sugar (i.e. candy/chocolate) really hits me hard and makes me feel just aweful and crabby…so I’m trying to stay away from the candy now.
We are all excited about Halloween because that’s your new quit day ! Wouldn’t it be funny to scare us all…and quit before then ? Each time I read your post, I can so relate to you. I personally think choosing a date puts a lot of pressure on oneself. Then the pressure really builds as the day approaches. That’s just my opinion, maybe the quitting date works for you — Quitting smoking is also something that you have to want to do. In all due respect to your beloved mom (may she rest in peace), you can’t quit for her. My husband has been nagging me for 20 years about smoking (he quit 20 years ago). He says he doesn’t want to “loose me” and my kids are always saying “Mom, please stop smoking”….as much as I love and adore my family, I could never honor their wish and just quit for them. I quit for ME…I would STRONGLY suggest you start doing some on line research about smoking and what it can do for you — motivate yourself to quit for YOU, and no one else. I personally think people are just setting themselves up for failure when you proclaim to be quitting to make someone else happy. I don’t think it works. It sounds wonderful and loving, but smoking is like every other addiction out there.
Get yourself a QuitKeeper and download it.
I know my stats don’t make me worthy of being a Pro at this…but I find that sometimes helping others stay smoke-free, actually helps me.
I have been quit for 1 Week, 5 Days, 1 hour, 54 minutes and 6 seconds (12 days). I have saved $111.12 by not smoking 241 cigarettes. I have saved 20 hours and 5 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 10/14/2009 7:30 AM
Hi Marilyn,
We’re still here. And we’re all looking forward to your Halloween quit! Actually, I’ll be in northern England on that day and won’t be able to post, but will drink a Newcastle brown lager shandy to your success! If the pressure builds up too much as the day draws nearer, maybe advancing your quit date a day or two might relieve it. Anyway, whatever works for you is the right thing to do.
Hey Debra, I couldn’t agree more with your comment about quitting for YOURSELF and not someone else – even loved ones. You really have to want cigarettes out of your life because YOU want to be free of them. It’s a very personal thing that you’re giving up, and NOT easy. Those first ten days were torture for me – it’s not so bad anymore six months out – but still some moments can be hellishly unpleasant, and yes, writing these rants seems to help somehow.
And BTW, congratulations on those double-digit days you’re piling up!
Bill —
While your at it, have a Newcastle Brown Lager for me as well !
The urge still hits me, and when it does, I go to my quit keeper and it really knocks my socks off to see how many cigarettes I have not smoked ! Yikes, it’s over 241 cigarettes already ?? I can’t imagine myself lighting up that many times..but apparently I was. ( Key word being WAS).
Debra
Yep still here Marilyn… I am praying for you and will be thinking about you on your quit date. You can do it and yes no doubt you have to do it for yourself no one else. My little short story, my girls had mentioned to me several times mommy please quit. We don’t want you to smoke. Anything they could say they said it. I quit after going to the doctor and the doctor said you need to quit smoking. A week later I quit. It was for me but also so I could live a long healthy life for my children. I didn’t want to cheat them out of time with me because of cigarettes.
Good luck
Hi everyone!
I am so proud of myself. I had the H1N1 virus for a whole week. Day one of the virus I only smoked one cigarette. Day two I smoked about four. Then I decided that was it. I have tried to quit so many times with very little success. Since I was very sick this time, I felt it was the perfect time. I did not have any cravings that I was aware of. I am hoping I do not start up again. My boyfriend smokes and when I smell second hand smoke now, I feel sick. I am a nursing student and I was not setting a good example when I was smoking. I am going to encourage my boyfriend to quit smoking too. I have been smoke free for six days now. It feels really good! I am also saving so much money so I am going to keep track of how much I save!! Then I can go spend the money on something that I want.
Good luck everyone. I just felt that I needed shout out to the world that I am now smoke free!!! 
Thanks for reading.
Hi Jessica !
Glad to hear that you’re feeling better ! Six days is great ! Google: quit keeper…they are great to have, they keep track of every minute you’ve been smoke-free and also tell you exactly how much money you have saved !
Keep up the good work — Tomorrow will be my 2 week celebration of being smoke-free.
Hugs to all
Debra
P.S. to Mac users:
If you don’t use a Mac, stop reading! Debra’s advice for laying your hands on a quit meter won’t work if, like me, you’re a Mac user. Worse, despite some time and effort with my browser, I couldn’t find a downloadable application for Macs that will do this! It’s interesting to ask yourself why – but that’s another post.
What I did find is a URL that contains text fields in which you fill in your quit date, time zone, cost of a pack of cigarettes, etc. When you exit this site it will put a cookie on your computer that saves the information (you need cookies enabled of course), so that in the future, every time you go to this site it gives all the (properly updated) information described in Debra’s note to Jessica. And of course, it’s platform-independent:
http://www.quitmeter.com/index.php
BTW, if anyone knows of a free downloadable Macintosh application or widget that does this, please clue the rest of us in, since that would be a better solution.
Hi Debra, Lori, Vai and Bill,
I’ve been very busy with my two year old grandson that I didn’t have a chance to write yesterday. Debra, you must be thrilled that you are now two weeks without smoking. You’re all set now for life! Lori, Vai and Bill thanks for all your warm wishes for me to quit smoking on Halloween. I think it’s a good date because it is on a Saturday, a day in which I can relax and concentrate on not smoking. I am a bit scared to be honest with you because I know what it’s like to quit. My original quit date was going to be with my husband on December 1. I still have that date stuck in my head but I will definitely put all my efforts into this Saturday. Still, I am scared…
Keep up all that good breathing my friends. I know I will join you really soon.
Marilyn
Marilyn — Hold on there girlfriend, wait a second, what’s this about December 1st – do I hear (or read in this case) an excuse to perhaps delay the quit date until then ?
You are suppose to be scared. That’s the best part. This is not meant to be easy. This is not something to take lightly. Once you quit, you will be consumed with the thoughts of having a smoke and that is the fear that keeps everyone from quitting. Fear. But you and I, and everyone else on this board knows what that fear is, and how possible it really is to overcome it all. You have quit in the past, you can do this again, and this time you are doing it for yourself. The fear lessens each day that goes by…Today I hit the 2 week mark. ( hold your applause until the end please). My thoughts go to a cigarette about once an hour now instead of every ten minutes. Just jump on board and quit smoking and then you can rant and rave about your withdrawals on this post like I do
We’ll all listen to you and respond and we will help get you through this — this board has been a huge help to me !
Hugs
Debra
I have been quit for 2 Weeks, 1 hour and 16 minutes (14 days). I have saved $129.28 by not smoking 281 cigarettes. I have saved 23 hours and 25 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 10/14/2009 7:30 AM
Debra–That was a great post. Marilyn is going thru the same issues we all have had to deal with. It has been a little over 3 months for me and I believe I am past the point of thinking about ever smoking again. At least I am hoping it is over. I feel healthy and my clothes no longer smell like an ash tray. I also don’t turn off the TV “QUIT SMOKING” commercials anymore due to the guilty feeling we all share.
Hi Debra,
I didn’t have a chance to reply to your October 28 post. Yikes! I think I’m more scared of you than of quitting smoking! hahaha just kidding of course. I know I shouldn’t have excuses, but this has been hell week for me. Finding out that my sister and son in law have cancer and that I might be losing my job is really not helping my situation at all. My mind is not at all focused to do anything. Before your suggestion of my quitting on Halloween, my husband and I made a pact to quit on December 1. So, deep down, that’s been in the back of my mind all along. I need to have a quit date to prepare and get excited about quitting. Oh, and I definitely will quit. If not tomorrow, I am sure it will be before December 1. I can’t stand how I smell like cigarettes and I know that people don’t want me around them after I smoke. It’s very embarrassing.
Jimmy, thank you for your comment about quitting smoking. I do wish you all the best of luck.
You never know, I just might quit on Sunday…you just never know.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE
Marilyn
Hi everyone I just stumbled across this site and read everyones comments
I have set a quit date for Dec. 23 starting school break but have just been told by my daughters ear specialist I need to quit now!!!
She has to get tubes in her ears because her natural tubes are blocked off from naturally protecting her ears from the smoke (even though i dont smoke inside) they breathe it in off our clothes and then when we fold their clothes, make their beds, or do anything in the house or with anything that directly has to do with them they breathe it in…. I knew it was still bad I just didnt know how bad i guess.. call me naive or dumb i dunno
I am only 23 but have been smoking heavily since I was 13 and not so heavily from the age of 9 so….
Now is the time!!!!
I would love to have Halloween as a quit date as well!!
So I was wondering if there are any tips to stay strong that I may not know about??
Thank you for listening!!
Amanda, sorry to hear about your daughters problem. Sounds like a good time to quit. I’m on the fifth day, but the hard part is starting the quit. My first day was hell. I made an agreement with myself. I imagined I left my cigarettes in the car, then I walked away. After an hours walking (in my imagination of course) if I felt the urge to smoke, then I had to walk back to the car to get my smokes. This meant I had to wait one hour to get back to the car and by this time my willpower had returned. I continued like this right up untill today, and although I should now be miles from the car, I am still only about 5 hours away from a smoke. Psychologically it works. I feel whenever I need a smoke I only need to wait 5 hours. But always the urge passes. Maybe this system could work for you.
Good luck
THIS IS A GREAT SITE, I’VE QUIT 4 DAYS AGO (FOR THE FIFTH TIME), AND EVERY TIME IS DIFFERENT. THIS TIME, I’VE SLEPT BETTER, BEEN LESS DEPRESSED, BUT JUST AS RATTY. THE URGES COME IN HUGE TSUNAMI WAVES, WHICH PASS LIKE A SWITCH BEING SHUT OFF. THIS IS SO BIZARRE. THE URGES SEEM INSURMOUNTABLE, AND THEN THEY DISAPPEAR JUST AS QUICK. THESE ARE THE TIMES MY WILL-POWER TAKES A BEATING. AFTER THE THIRD DAY, ALL SEEMS CALM. BUT BECAUSE THE BATTLE(THUS FAR) LEAVES YOU EXHAUSTED, IT BECOMES THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME. THIS IS WHEN YOU FEEL THE NEED FOR A SMOKE. I SUPPOSE YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP PLUGGING AWAY. I HAVE FOUND IT HELPS IF YOU DON’T ADVERTISE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE QUIT TO FRIENDS OR FAMILY. LET THEM GUESS WHY YOU ARE SO BAD TEMPERED AND BLOODY MINDED. ITS FUN AND GOOD FOR MORALE.
I quit two months ago from a pack a day habit for the last 20 years. I had quit for 2 years around 8 years ago, and like a total and complete idiot I had ONE cigarette after TWO years of not smoking, at 4am, after multiple drinks, in a club, in shanghai china where everyone was smoking. Just one right? I hadn’t smoked for two years… but that night I had not one but 3. The next day I had 5, the day after half a pack, and then back to a pack a day.
Amazing habit. I’ve “experimented” with some of the most classic addictive drugs in my college days, and nothing quite matches nicotine…
This time i know its forever. I’m not the guy who can quite and have one or two every week. I wish I was, as I know people who are classic social smokers, but its all or nothing for me.
Some tips:
1. I quit drinking for a month this time. Even small social drinks. Its incredibly difficult to quit if you are drinking, and it creates an opportunity for you to give up control and blame the alcohol.
2. I started working out in the mornings. even 20 minutes of cardio helps. you really really don’t want to smoke after, and it eats up nervous energy. its also pretty good for you…:)
3. First 3 days are tough…the rest is just focus and vigilance. Yes you crave them sometimes, but the pangs get further and further apart, and more dulled. They become remembrances of having smoked in certain situations, but not raw cravings…
4. You know you are winning based on how often you think about it. I knew that I was over the worst of it when I had the first day when I didn’t think about smoking all day. It suddenly occurred to me before bed that I hadn’t thought about it… At first you keep thinking about how “I would be smoking right now, but i’m not, and that is great…”. Once you stop having to do that, and it starts to fade away as a part of your life, you know you are winning.
5. Keep this in mind…smoking is a way of giving up control. You don’t let random strangers tell you what to do. But you allow this habit to dictate to you. Don’t let it. Be stronger than it. Prove to it, and yourself that you will not allow some external force to come in and alter your life, your health, and your relationships. If you do things – do them because YOU’VE made the choice, and not because its been made for you.
Good luck everyone.
-Vlad
Update. It is now 5 days since I quit. The snappy temper is subsiding, the dizziness is almost gone, but I still feel strange in my head. I keep thinking a cigarette will restore me to normality. Then I remember that this normality is not normal at all. Whats normal about inhaling smoke?. It’s so difficult at times. The eyesight is definitely affected when you quit. Everything seems brighter, it almost hurts at times. I also feel that the quit time is important. I quit in the afternoon which means that every morning I wake, smoke free, I already have half the new day completed as a non smoker. This has been a cornerstone in my stratedgy.
Good luck to all you ‘quitters’, or would be ‘quitters’.
Hi all:
Stumbled on this website looking for a timeline on how the body gets over the effects of smoking and REALLY like the idea of having somewhere to talk about this with others who understand the process…
I am 42 years old and have smoked since I was 13. Today is day 5 for me (YAY!!) and I have to say I am so surprised at how well I am doing so far… I have tried to quit in the past (once made it 9 1/2 months) and always had major cravings, but for some reason this time is different. I feel so good and really clear-headed already!! And, knock on wood, no major cravings yet…
Anyway, thanks for listening – again it’s good to know there’s somewhere to turn for support – good luck and continued success to all of us!!
Kimmy
Hi all! Today I am 8 weeks free of cigarettes – I can’t even imagine how I’ve done it but obviously with help from this forum as I have read it from one end to the other twice. Need some new imput, getting boring… Don’t really mean that – every word I read reinforces my resolve.
Had an interesting thing happen the other day, Thursday, I think, anyway, I decided I needed to do an indepth cleaning. For the men out there that means behine couches, fridge, dishwasher, etc. Most of the women don’t need an explanation unfortunately. Well, anyway, behine one couch was a cigarette, 3/4 of one to be exact. Probably, went out in an ashtray and fell behind the couch cause there was no burn spot on the carpet. Weellll now, what do I do with this little devil, I asked? I have made it easy on myself by not having any in the house, as I live in British Columbia, in a little town about half
way between Alaska and Washington State, just nipping out to the closest store is really not an option, unless I’m willing to go outside, start my car, drive 5 miles there and back just for a pack of smokes it ain’t gonna happen. Ièm happy to say it did not tempt me for even a minute – into the garbage it went.
I am now thinking of my lungs as having perhaps a few patches of pink showing through the black, it rings a bell with me similar to my seeds I plant in my garden in the spring, they just make it through the ground and a late frost hits and wipes them out, seems to me your lungs might feel the same – finally get a few pink spots and then I have a cigarette and destroy the little progress made. I love gardening and cry when my seeds get wiped out so why would I want to do this to my lungs.
Funny when a person thinks of these things from a different perspective. Also, I havenèt gained any weight but I think it is because I have had the craziest craving foodwise. I have been craving sweet and sour dill pickles and cottage cheese. No, as a sixty-eight year old quitter I can quarantee I am not pregnant. I do not know why I crave these but maybe the vinegar.
Best of days and nights to all. Judy
Hello Judy,
What a wonderful post. You have truly given me incentive to quit before December 1. All I have thought about the past few days is quitting smoking. This is a start for me. For a while, I had no thoughts of quitting, but now, since reading your post, I am even more inclined to quit soon. For me, the first day is the easiest but the second, and especially the third day, are the most difficult. I know it gets easier with each day and I have to keep in mind that quitting is the best thing that can happen to me.
Thanks for your posts.
Marilyn
Marilyn,
You are going to be so happy that you quit smoking. It gets better each day. I am sure that all the people who post on this board felt the same way just before we quit. We were nervous and irritable. i went to a party on saturday night and several people were standing outside smoking. I looked at them with envy and pity at the same time. What a wake-up call that was! I don’t remember feeling those two thoughts at the same time for the same people. How odd. In the meantime just focus on the goal of quitting and you will be successful. The benefits are staggering.
Jimmy
So there you are, Judy and Marilyn.
Judy, you deserve a big pat on the back for tossing that relic from your smoking days! I have to confess that I’d have taken a puff or two before getting rid of it. So thanks to you for setting us a living breathing example! And I am not kidding here.
It’s not easy to keep my own quit going, even after six months. I’m just back from a few days in Newcastle, UK, where LOTS of people still smoke. Walking down the street there, you smell it in the air (delicious!) and see lots of little groups of people crouching in bunches like lepers outside buildings where they work – puffing away. But they were all chatting each other up and didn’t seem to mind. In fact they seemed to be enjoying themselves! Several times I asked myself how I might lay hands on one of their cigarettes – I’m sure my american accent would have turned the trick. But somehow I managed to keep walking.
One of my colleagues also there was a former Romanian named Florin – now living in Rome (where he’s happy and well-fed) – who smokes three packs a day. No joke. In days past when Florin and I were both at such a meeting we would run into each other outside the building where we would smoke – all the time exchanging snide comments and jokes about nonsmokers – especially the more rabid anti-smoking zealots. So Florin was disappointed that he has lost one of his misbehaving partners-in-crime.
The devil did win out once, however. When at the end of a day a group of us were walking to a pub (with Florin chain-smoking as usual) I softened and bummed one of his and took my maximum allowable three puffs. I have to say that I enjoyed it! So did Florin. But with some effort, I was able to hold off during the subsequent pints of beer, followed by another walking trip to a restaurant followed by a sumptuous meal with wine, without giving in again. In the end I was able to hold my Newcastle smoking to three puffs – which considering the temptations I had, doesn’t seem so bad to me. Screw the purists! BTW Debra, I named one of the pints “for Debra’s quit”.
Marilyn, I see you’ve postponed your start date. Okay, but of course you know that you’re going to have set a firm one. As a favor to yourself. Quitting is hard, and keeping it going is hard too. And you may have any number of minor failures (I know I have). But there is a HUGE positive payoff to quitting; and I am relieved to think that – so far at least – my slips have not gone out of control. This means that I won’t get scary spots on my lungs or yellow teeth or don’t have to suffer in airports waiting for hours without smoking (that is gone for me now) or don’t worry about having to live with oxygen several years out, etc. etc. etc. It has DEFINITELY been worth it! I mean it’s been worth both the anxiety about quitting, the initial pain of quitting, and the lingering urges to smoke that just never seem to go away. And in particular, with all my small failures (of character if you wish to call it that – whatever) I am REALLY glad to have a six-month quit under my belt! So get back on schedule Marilyn; it’s important.
Hello everyone !
Just getting over a nasty cold – Today is WEEK THREE for me ! I’m so busy at work I can’t think straight, but just wanted to do a quick post so nobody thinks I fell off the face of the internet !
Mariyln hang in there. Once you finally make the decision, you will wonder why you didn’t do it much sooner. If your job is in jeopardy, that might be a really good reason to quit – I’ve saved so much money since quitting. It is still hard, but I actually look forward to every day now; knowing that I am winning the battle and I’m accomplishing something. Smoking was something I did because I was bored or anxious or frustrated. I’m learning new ways of handling those times. ( Okay, M&M’s might be playing a big role in that, but so does sewing and HOPEFULLY my next goal is to really start exercising).
Bill — Glad you enjoyed one on me ! Nice to hear to about your adventures; I think if I were to spend time with my best friend (a heavy smoker) I might be tempted too. Forgive yourself and MOVE forward my friend !!
Debra
Hi all,
Where is everyone? I’m just back from a trip, and couldn’t find any posts on this site. Let’s keep this site going.
–Bill
Update. It is now 9 days since my quit, this is after 30 yrs smoking a pack a day, and five previous failed quits. The longest previous quit was 6 weeks, about 23 years ago. The shortest quit was 2 days. The week-end has passed. I still had some beer, although this was difficult. The smoking ban in bars helped, previously I hated the smoking ban, but now it makes sense. I’ve suffered the usual cravings, but it seems to be getting easier. I have had some unusual pains in my chest and palpitations. I always got these during my previous quits, I suppose its the gunge being removed from my lungs. No cough though, mind you I never had a cough. So, so far so good.
Keep quitting……….
That is great Ian iam into my 8th hour. I have tried a few times before I have been smoking just over 30 years…GOOD LUCK!
Don’t panic Catherine, keep going. The first 3 days are the worst. Don’t be afraid to lose your temper. I was as snappy as hell for the first week, still am. I’m usually calm and meek, but the ragged nerves actually helped me at work. People now are more wary of dumping extra work on my desk. So, I’m quite happy with my new found snappy reputation.
Keep going…………..
Hi everyone… coming up on my first 24 hours smoke free. Thought it about time to do this before I’m too old to do it, if you get what I mean. I had acupuncture yesterday afternoon and not a puff since. So far it hasn’t been too bad, as long as I don’t dwell on it and keep my mind on other things, I have been doing fine. No nerves or agitation, just now and then this sense of being a bubble off my usual normal. I think one thing that has helped me is taking smoking out of my house and car for so long beforehand. I no longer associate smoking with anything but being in one spot of the garage, alone, nothing to drink, etc. Anyway, good luck to everyone. We can do it!
Update. 12 days since I quit. I’m glad I read most of this site because somewhere it mentioned hitting a plateau at about 10 days. I hit this plateau yesterday. All day long I suffered. It was as bad as the first days of the quit. I really would have smoked, but the ‘plateau’ thing stuck in my mind. Sure enough, at about 11pm the cravings stopped, and I was grateful to the ‘plateau blogger’. I survived not to smoke another day.
Keep quittin……
Hi Ian; Not sure about the “plateau” thing, since the effects seem to vary so much from person to person. For sure, after ten days you’re past the WORST of it – and that’s huge. But don’t let your guard down. Even after six months, I still get strong urges to smoke from time to time.
p.s. Keep thinking positive; that helps me a lot. Your lungs are clear now and your cough is gone. Your blood pressure is down a bit – maybe more. Things are tasting better. You don’t have to worry about carrying stuff around in your shirt pocket. You can go to an airport and wait for hours without pain. You don’t have to interrupt your dinner at a restaurant to go outside to smoke. You won’t need to carry around oxygen tanks when you’re older. Your arteries will stay more flexible. And best of all, you feel better about yourself!
Hey Bill –
Funny you mentioned that about having to leave for a cigarette when you are in a restaurant. Last night, we had gone out to dinner, and the person seated next to us, had left their table and was gone about 10 minutes. When they returned to their table, BOY OH BOY could I smell that they just had a cigarette. Let me tell you, it was one nasty smell !!!
There is something so nasty about the odor someone has on them after smoking outside; especially if it is cold outside.
When we walked out of the restaurant, there were a few people standing there smoking. I little part of me wanted to stop and join them; but I didn’t. I couldn’t…I did not feel sad for them. I was insanely jealous !! HaHa..I’m just being honest. 3 weeks and it’s still hard. I also agree (strongly) that food taste so much better; and that for me is not a good thing !! But my doctor told me eat whatever you want, until your clothes begin to feel very tight…then stop. So far I haven’t noticed any major weight gain, maybe 5 pounds but that’s okay. (for now anyways).
Thanks for your posting…it was pretty good !!
I am on my 5TH day of quitting and I havent felt better. My goal was to just graudally wing myslef off of it starting on Nov. 1st but in the middle of the day one of my co-workers showed me a picture of identical twins @ the age of 40 and how the smoker looked 20 times older than the non-smoker. At that point I was like.. yeah Im gana quit for good. It hasnt been easy but I know that it is worth it. The hardest part is the witdrawals..i dont have an urge to smoke a cigarette but just the symptoms. I love this website it keeps me busy and if I do think about smoking reading all these wonderful stories just makes it even easier !!!!
Even when I was smoking I worked out alot and now these past few days I find that I can do even more at my activites and It just makes me so happy.
Oh yeah — just to share. Every morning I take a vitamin C pill. I have smoked for about 9 years and have always had difficulty swollowing them. I havent taken one until today since the last time I had a cig, and the pill.. went down without me even noticing it….. goes to show how much grossness is in your throat and how clogged up you really get from nasty.. nasty cigs…. Wish me luck and I wish everyone out there reading this nothing but the best.. WE CAN DO IT !!!!!
Hello All,
I came across this posting while I was researching the benefits of not smoking. Anyways, I usually don’t post when I come across forums like this and tend to lurk more then anything. I just wanted to let you all know that I’ve smoked since I was 15 or 16 and am now 37. Just recently I met up with a friend and tried to bum a smoke off him. Turns out that he has stopped smoking for 3 months now. I asked him how he was able to quit and he told me he used the Max Kirsten Hypnotism App on his iphone.
Long story short, I thought I’d give it a try and damn!!! it worked! It’s been 2 months almost to the day. Funny thing is I hardly thought about smoking right from the get go. The best thing about it, it only cost about 8 bucks!!! You can get it on cd if you don’t have an iphone. I like to listen to the booster session before I fall asleep at night.
Just thought I’d pass on the info in case anyone is interested.
Good luck to you all,
Levi
Marilyn OMG you had quit for 15 years?
I just turned 54 in October,
I had quit for almost 6 and used to say I would never smoke again, well here I am smoking again for about the past 6 years.
I just quit again Thursday Nov. 5th.
Really wish I had not started again, I do remember how nice it was “NOT TO SMOKE”.
I guess habit is a lot of it too, break time at work, after lunch,Sitting at the computer, 1st cigarette with coffee in the morning.
But I have/had started to worry about my health, and thinking about dieing and all this kind of stuff, and I really was not enjoying them like I used to. Also the NON Fire Safe Cigarettes were becoming harder to find, and the Fire Safe Ones don’t burn or drag worth a damm.
I don’t know, Friday at work was not too bad, I was not all edgey like I thought I would be, It is a little harder at home here, because I am used to sitting around this computer and smoking. Not really a good thing either, I guess I need to get more active, as I have also gotten the fattest I have ever been in my life.
I have watched my Mother on oxygen, and now her sister is also on oxygen, and they both smoked a long time.
Thanks, Tony
Hi all of us old timers and all you newbys! Just a quick report to let you know I’ve hit 9 weeks today. I must admit that you are all right and the cravings have almost stopped. Just the first cup of coffee in the morning and that is so fleeting that I hardly notice. It’s probably a good thing just so we don’t get complacent. I actually have to think about it consciously in the car – truly amazing. Marilyn, need to hear from you young lady (I can call everyone that as I don’t think anyone is as old as me, and darn proud of it). I’m presuming that you have either decide on the December 1st quick date or are keeping your quit secret. You know no secrets are allowed from your quit date. Either way I want to hear from you. You know we’re on your side either way. It’s suprising how many people in the health care field still smoke. I’m always running into receptionists and nurses who give you the ashamed of myself look, when I mention that my info can be updated to not a smoker. I just tell them to ask their Dr. about champix. Won’t work for everyone because of side effects but it’s certainly worth it for them to try.
Anyway, I’m running on and on cause there just isn’t anything too interesting around this neck of the woods right now other then snow in the forecast!!!
Hawaii here I come.
Judy
Hi Judy! I’m here and I read this site every day or I post. December 1 is still my quit date, in fact, it is for my husband too. I’m really excited about it. Each day I smoke less cigarettes than the day before. Right now I don’t feel too good with a cold, and I am smoking just a little bit. I thought about quitting now, but deep in my mind I know I will start because I am looking forward to December 1.
Thanks to everyone on this post, many who are new, for all your concerns about my quitting.
Anthony, yes I quit for 15 years and started 2 1/2 years ago. What a dope I was. Someone offered me a cigarette at a bad time and I took it. The worse part of it was I didn’t even have an urge or want one! The person insisted I needed a cig and I took it thinking just one puff would not be bad after 15 years. Well, here I am smoking more than I did all those years ago. I guess it proves a point, right? Never take one puff again ever!
Debra, three weeks? OMG! You must be so happy with yourself. I know I am very proud of you. Ian, Viad, Jimmy, and everyone else, keep up the good work! You are over the worse part. Just don’t ever ever take one puff or you’ll be like me…right back to smoking. Trust me, nicotine takes over immediately and it will change your whole life again.
Keep writing to me everyone because I love to read all your warm wishes to me. Bill, you are wonderful!
Thank you all my friend. God bless you.
Marilyn
im 54 been smokin for bout 40 yrs. thinkin bout quitting cold turkey. the boss is going to be out most of next week & every will be on me . should i do it now or stand a better chance when the pressure is off when he gets back.
Okay I would like sove advise if you guys dont mind. I dont smoke, I personaly never got into it they make me actually sick to my stomach but what i need is some advise to get my dad to quit smoking he is 41 years old and he has been smoking sense he was 15 I have seen him try to quit and he gets very angry very fast and easy for the most part he is denile that it is bad for his health. He coughs all the time but it seems like he doesnt even realize he is coughin and if he does realize he is coughing it has nothing to do with smoking I just want my father to be healthy and I think that it will make him feel alot better about himself and have more energy and stuff like that and not smell like cigarettes all the time any advise would be greatly apreciated
Hi Kadie,
This has got to be a common situation, the defensiveness and anger, the denial, etc. You hear about similar reactions when a family member has a drinking problem and won’t acknowledge it. In those cases, interventions can work (at least sometimes) – where family members and perhaps friends confront the problem drinker directly as a group and try to get the person to see that they are truly concerned about HIM/HER, his health, and maybe even his long-term survival. It worked with Betty Ford in the late 1970s – and as you know there’s even an alcohol-recovery center bearing her name.
But an “intervention” like that might not be productive for a smoker – for several reasons. For example, smoking doesn’t normally wreck your relationships or your career like drinking can, and while it’s surely true that smoking can kill you, it kills you MUCH more slowly. So the urgency isn’t there.
It might be worth a try – but be realistic about the possibilities. Many years ago, my long-dead mother tried to “talk me into” quitting smoking. She approached the subject very carefully and made sure she was NOT being judgmental. It didn’t work. I listened to what she had to say and then went right on smoking for umpteen more years.
I think the truth of it is that a smoker has to want to quit smoking for himself – not for someone else – even a loved one. Otherwise, quitting won’t work. Your dad surely knows that his behavior is risking his long-term health, and you can count on the fact that he worries about it from time to time. Maybe he even WANTS to quit. But he hasn’t yet accepted that idea into his personal karma. And until he does, he’ll continue to smoke. I wish I could offer more positive comments, but you’ve put your finger on a really tough one. Good luck!
Hi Kadie:
I think Bill said it best, and he’s absolutely correct. My sons have all begged me for years to stop smoking; and as much as I adore them and wanted to honor their wish, I couldn’t do it. Do you live with your Dad? Perhaps you could suggest that the two of you go for evening walks together; don’t say anything to him about the smoking — he’ll feel the effects of smoking when he’s walking. Sometimes getting healthy starts first, and then quitting smoking comes second. Just a suggestion.
I’ve been so busy at work these days and haven’t been posting, but I’m P.R.O.U.D to put down the following:
I have been quit for 4 Weeks, 2 hours, 10 minutes and 22 seconds (28 days). I have saved $258.42 by not smoking 561 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Day, 22 hours and 45 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 10/14/2009 7:30 AM.
But I swear, EACH DAY is still hard for me…I’m still not paying attention to how many calories I’m consuming,but one step at a time – I’ll start walking soon and then I WILL begin to see how the weight has affected my health !!
I am back in the no-smoking category. I had a week and a half where I was smoking full on. I ended a relationship that was unhealthy and it was difficult. I smoked here and there for the last month or two because of the feelings I was having associated with this relationship. Does anyone else have these issues? I know that I use cigarettes to cope with difficult feelings and situations. particularly if i don’t understand my feelings and think they are wrong or strange.
Well, the good news is that the relationship is done, I am not smoking, and I am exercising and eating well. I am almost 4 days clean again. Back to the drawing board. I am somewhat disappointed that I have difficulty dealing with relationship stuff without smoking. I must find a better way to cope than to reach for the cigarette. Does anyone else have this issue?
Paul
Quit for4 days and had 2 cigarettes last night. Forgave myself and I am back at 1 day today. I have filled my week with positive activities to keep the cravings at bay. That and I plan on talking more with friends to stay accountable .
I am breathing clear again. Last friday night I quite smoking, and had a slip on tuesday night when I smoked 2 cigarettes. It’s friday and I am still smoke free. I am going through the grump phase of smoking and I am coping with the loss of a relationship at the same time. I don’t want to give up the quit because of these difficult feelings, but I am also pretty angry, lonely, and hurt.
I really want to get through this kind of stuff without cigarettes. Smoking has been my emotional crutch since I was 13 years old. I feel like i haven’t learned to truly cope with lifes struggles like relationships and heartache, because i just smoke the feelings away, until i have to repeat the process all over again. Well, i am not choosing to do that now, and i am seeing that this is a long, drawn out process. I am asking, when will it end? when will i have a moment of feeling good. Why not smoke and make the bad feelings go away? I know smoking will just delay the bad feelings. I guess i’ll be uncomfortable and smoke free for a while instead.
Paul
Hi Paul….I’ve been part of this thread for almost two years now. I have drifted away because life without cigarettes has become much more managable…AS IT WILL WITH YOU TOO! It is this site that got me through the hardest part of quitting smoking. Honestly, nothing else worked except for this site.
I met some incredibly strong, wonderful people here that I credit my success to. Your quitting process will never end, but I promise you, it will get easier.
I am truly sorry you angry and hurt BUT you are not alone as long as you stick to this website.
It is hard to keep up with everyone here and read all posts but I see there are some really encouraging/inspiring people one here…Debra, marilyn, Paul. And then my old-timers, Ed, Vai, Tony H. (where is he??)
Paul, you can do it. I will pray for you and I wish you the best. Below are my stats. IT IS POSSIBLE! I smoked a pack a day for 20 years.
I have quit for 1 Year, 10 Months, 1 Week, 5 Days, 11 hours, 5 minutes and 47 seconds (682 days). I have saved $3,548.79 by not smoking 13,649 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Month, 2 Weeks, 2 Days, 9 hours and 25 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 1/1/2008 1:30 AM
Last year i had penemonia and again this year it was not good, my friend suggested that we run a 10k i said yes stuipidly thinking i could do it after been so ill. But one night only had two ciggs left and i thought no im not going to get more im going to stop tomorrow and i did that was 17 weeks ago. I ran the 10k and promised myself while running it that i would never smoke again, that is the only thing stopping me from smoking again. Im finding it harder and harder to stay away from them. I have never had so many colds in the past 17 weeks i feel crap dont have any energy and had two more chest infections since stopping, i keep wondering is it worth it! I smoked for 15 years does it get easier?
Hi folks,
Just thought I’d check in – there haven’t been many posts the last few days. Had a not-so-good weekend with a couple of slips, but managed to keep each of them limited to three puffs plus trash-the-nineteen-survivors. It’s a bit discouraging that I’m still having slips after so long – but through them all I’ve been able to resist going back to regular smoking.
Somehow.
It’s completely mental at this point (seven months out from my cold-turkey quit in April), but still, those urges can be very strong. Actually, one of my two slips during the past five days originated with my wife – who is going through a painful grant-writing process last week and this one too. She had a pack stashed away somewhere – a VERY BAD idea – and at one point we both gave in, had a few puffs from two of them and contemplated our decadence! But we kept on track, more or less, since neither of us went back to regular smoking. So naturally, it could have been a lot worse.
My wife has a twenty-year-plus quit going, and this was not a trivial item for her. But we are both determined to keep our respective quits going – and I’m thinking we will be able to do it. I had hoped it would have become easier by now – without stuff like this happening – but it is what it is. Not easy by any means. The good news is that it is much easier than it was during the first month or two. For example, I can concentrate on work now and be productive, which I could not do during the first few weeks. In fact, concentration seems to help me now – which was NOT the case at first.
Enough whining! Good luck to all, and keep your eyes on the prize: a healthy life without cigarettes!!!
Hey Bill!
Good to see you here again. I haven’t posted because shamefully, I have nothing to brag about. I’m still smoking but my quit date is in two weeks, December 1.
I found when I quit smoking for all those years (15) when I had any urges, I just didn’t even take a puff. Sad to say, I took that puff two years ago and am having the worse time trying to quit now. From reading your posts, I am sure you will be just fine. At least you didn’t smoke a whole pack, right?
Keep your quit going strong. I truly admire you.
Marilyn
Hey Marilyn,
Glad to see you’re still headed for a quit on Dec 1. Don’t let the idea fade away in the meantime. Maybe it would help to check off the remaining days on a calendar – pretend you’re doing a countdown to a BIG event (speaking of countdowns, they just launched a shuttle today, to carry huge stores of spare parts to the space station – and THAT was a biggie).
No, neither of us smoked more than a few puffs. Fortunately. But it’s dangerous to do even that, and I’m really looking forward to having those urges fade. Probably they’ll always be there, but hopefully they’ll get to be a lot more manageable.
Best wishes to the new Marilyn – beginning a much healthier life on Dec 1!
Hi Bill:
I enjoyed reading your post (as usual). I think I’m in the same boat as you are; I have had 3 slips in the last week (see my post to Marilyn).
It’s like playing with fire. I really think it has to do with being in control. People like me enjoy controling things…and if I think I can control nicotine by having one every once in a while, I’m not fooling anyone but myself. I have no control over nicotine, and that bothers me, but I’m a control freak. I’m actually been feeling a little “down” lately. My son has left his wife and they are going through a very very nasty divorce. I have no control over that either, and I get to listen to both of them trash one another. As I get older, I need to face the fact that some things I have no control over…like nicotine, and the decisions that my adult children make. YIKES ! I promise my next post will be more upbeat. I know this was a drag (no pun intended).
Debra
Hi Debra. For sure, we both have to stay on our toes the next few days. Two or three slips in as many days really is playing with fire!
Managing this situation is the part of it I haven’t figured out very well. What I’ve noticed about my slips is that when there is one slip, number two comes easier: And if three days went by between slip one and slip two, there’s a big temptation to make it FEWER than three days between slip two and slip three. Etc. VERY dangerous.
What I try to do when I smell that coming is to tell myself to be extra vigilant – the evil smoking devil is at work and he’ll screw it up for me if he can! So for a couple of days (or even more) after the latest unwanted slip, I try to keep telling myself to keep my guard up and DON’T slip on that particular day – or face losing it all. In a way this is backsliding into a previous stage of my quit that was harder to manage. But it’s only for a day or two – and I do NOT want to lose it all and become a regular smoker again. This does seem to help me somehow. Another thing that helps me is to think about concrete positive changes I’ve noticed – like how my cough is now gone. For you, that could be the thought that your bronchitis is clearing up slowly but surely.
And you’re right about the idea of losing control. It’s gone! I’m not in control – at least in regard to my smoking habit – and I hate that thought! I’m absolutely sure that if I buy a pack and smoke it the way I used to, I’m right back where I started last May. So whatever else I do, I CANNOT EVER do that. But I think I can continue to hang on by my fingernails, staying away from THAT by keeping just enough control to stretch out those intervals between slips – one day at a time but steadily. I’m not there yet, but I seem to be making (slow, slow) progress.
Hope this doesn’t sound like a rant. Sure, anyone could tell me that if I didn’t give in to these bloody slips, I’d be in a much better place in my quit today. And they’d be right of course. If only I had enough control/virtue/character to do that, I surely would! But I don’t, and this is the best I CAN do. Anyway, good luck with your own quit, and let’s all keep our eyes on the prize!
I quit a week ago, it just happen when i smoke my last one in the box and refuse to buy another box … its been so easy for 4-5 days but since yesterday i feel that i really really need to smoke.
i’ve been try to work out, reading books, play games, etc to keep my mind away from the thought of smoking but …
i’m trying hard to stay non smoker and really hope that i won’t be running to the shop next door to buy a box and start again
I went cold turkey after on October 18th and still smoke free feels so much better!
The thing that did it for me was a Thyroid tumor. That did it, I got on Chantix for a while but I don’t really think the Chantix did it.
The Thyroid tumor was benign and probably the result of childhood radiation therapy however; I got to thinking about it and I really don’t want to have a doctor tell me that he wants to open up my chest and take out a lung…
So, that did it, I’ve been off of them for going on 7 weeks and I have:
Walked out to the smoking area at work to take a break and did not smoke.
Gone drinking in a bar and did not smoke.
Smoked one two weeks after and only one.
Gone drinking in a bar and smoked one four weeks after, the last one.
I never touched another one, never will.
I do not desire them; I think the government should outlaw them and make pot legal to make up for the tax shortfall. It’s never been proven that pot gives you lung cancer but we know for a fact that tobacco has been fertilized with phosphates from Florida and these phosphates contain a better than trace level of radioactive Polonium, ((Po) an alpha emitter nick-named F-Radium (false Radium). It is actually even more radioactive than Radium and Radium glows in the dark.
This is what is said about Polonium (Po):
The maximum permissible body burden for ingested polonium is only 0.03 micro curies, which represents a particle weighing only 6.8 x 10-12 g. Weight for weight it is about 2.5 x 1011 times as toxic as hydrocyanic acid. The maximum allowable concentration for soluble polonium compounds in air is about 2 x 10-11 micro curies/cm3.
That’s 10 to the -12 grams. It would fix on the sharp end of a pen with room to spare, lots of room!
And American grown tobacco concentrates this in its leaves!
No wonder lung cancer and cigarette smoking go hand in hand.
I just hope I quit before it was too late, I could be a walking ‘dead man’.
Hey Johnny Mac,
Your seven-week quit record and milestones are impressive. Looks like you’re on your way!
And your remarks about Polonium gave us something to think about, too. All of that reminded me of the case of Alexander Litivinenko – a former KGB official who settled in the UK, wrote a book accusing the KGB of various terrorist acts to bring Vladimir Putin into power, and who was rewarded by being poisoned in 2006 with Polonium-210 (following a suspicious meeting with two KGB agents in London). There were parallels with the near-fatal Victor Lushchenko poisoning two years earlier. Check the details at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Litvinenko_poisoning
I think I agree with your comments about legalizing pot – anyway it’s already more-or-less legal here in northern California. But the tax issues seem complicated, and I’m not convinced that smoking pot is better for your health than smoking cigarettes (tho it’s more fun for sure).
Hang in there!
–Bill
Hi guys! Just a quick note to let you know I’m still alive and reading each and every post. A few new boys and girls and all sound very confident – good for you! Ive found this week to be a little confusing as the only time I really think of a smoke is when I get up in the morning – that first one was always so good. Then I go the whole day and really don’t think about it but when I do it’s JUST A COUPLE OF PUFFS WON’T HURT. I know from reading a great many posts especially Bill’s and Marilyn’s that this is a straight run to losing all my gains so I ignore it. I just feel a little more sympathy for all of us as it’s really a sneaky little devil that hates to lose any of us to the good side!!! Anyway I’ll be finished with week 11 on Saturday and ask that you all keep up your postings cause they are unbelieveably supportive. When I do get an urge I can come to this site (which is filed in my favourite’s so I can get it quickly). By the way I’m not misspelling words like favourite and nieghbourhoor by adding the “u” it’s the Canadian spelling! Just thought I’d throw that in as we need a little humour now and then.
Best as always, Judy
I had my last smoked over 24 hours ago. To date I have smoked for 9 years (pack-a-day) and now I am ready to quit. Keep posting as it is really helping me to read all these great stories.
Hi Amer,
Congratulations on what I consider the most difficult decision when quitting smoking. To me, finding the date to quit is the hardest to do and you have already succeeded.
I have had a difficult time trying to quit these past few weeks, but tomorrow is another date for me! I am proud that I chose July 4 because it will start my independence from cigarettes!
During the next few days, if you have an urge, just take a quick breath through your nose and give out a great big exhale. You will immediately feel the urge leave you. It’s amazing…
Good luck tomorrow. Day 2 for you and you will already feel much better.
Marilyn
Thank you Marilyn. It has now been a week and I feel great. I am still using the gum and now I just hope that I dont get addicted to the gum.
i smoked heavily for almost 50 years, tried so many times to quit, usually lasted a few hours.
i started to get pains in my legs so i had to quit, but still couldnt.
then by sure chance i heard about electronic cigarettes so i bought one, cost £52, but after 1 drag i knew i would never smoke a real cigarette again.
but does it count as giving up?.
i have no cravings at all for a real ciggie at all, threw my tobacco in the bin and will never smoke again. do i care if i stay on the electronic cigarette, not really, i get the enjoyment of a ciggie without the dangers,
or at least i think i do, any thoughts.
Hi Dennis,
I was also a one-pack-a-day smoker for 50+ years. Right now I’m holding my own on a three month cold turkey quit. It has not been easy! But the daily bouts with craving seem to be gradually diminishing in intensity and frequency, and I’m beginning to dare to think of myself as a FORMER SMOKER.
Your post strikes me as unusual for this site. In fact, I haven’t noticed anyone stumping for electronic cigarettes before. Let’s take your post at face value – so for example, I will assume that you have no stake in electronic cigarettes other than any other independent person. You certainly described your positive opinion of these gadgets clearly enough, but you didn’t give us much detail. Could you be a bit more specific? For example, how often do you smoke now? How does it work? I am very surprised that you suddenly have zero cravings for “ordinary” cigarettes.
But most of all, if I were you and smoking these things, I would worry about safety. Since they’re so new, there is no history of long-term effects on health, and in fact, there are new studies that suggest that electronic cigarettes may be dangerous. Here’s a link to a recent study described in a reliable Cleveland (Ohio, USA) newspaper:
http://www.cleveland.com/medical/plaindealer/index.ssf/base/news/124833795418880.xml&coll=2
Of course, everyone knows that smoking cigarettes presents health risks. But with cigarettes, the risks (both short term and long term) are well known, and that information is publicly available – while for electronic cigarettes, the health risks (certainly the long-term risks) are pretty much a mystery.
Anyway, I hope your solution works for you and is safe as well.
Best, –Bill
Just testing.
hi bill, no i do not have any stake whatsoever in the electronic cigarettes, all i can say on the health issue is nicotine is known to have no harmfull effects nor does the gel the nicotine is bonded with, however i have read on the net that many countries are very worried about the loss of tax revenue that they have tried to ban them on the grounds of it being an untested medicine ?, canada tried and failed so maybe its just scaremongering.
its been a few weeks now and i have no wish or need to ever smoke again i have so much more energy and the hacking cough i had has gone.
it will take a bit more time for the pain in the legs to go when i walk up hills but i have been told this does take time.
whilst i agree this was an unusual post on a stop smoking forum, it worked for me, instantly.
regards dennis
Thanks for the reply, Dennis. But I wonder if the picture is as clear as you indicate. For example, you say that nicotine is known to have no harmful health effects. Is that really true? I haven’t followed the literature (on health effects of nicotine) closely, but I do recall that nicotine raises blood pressure – and perhaps more dangerously, over time it contributes irreversibly to arteriosclerosis.
But it’s not just the nicotine. The FDA (certainly independent of tax revenue issues in the US) found in testing that half of their samples of electronic cigarettes contain carcinogens, and one contained diethylene glycol – an ingredient used in antifreeze. See
http://www.cleveland.com/medical/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/124833795418880.xml&coll=2
It’s also true that electronic cigarette advocates have said that this particular ingredient was a singular case that originated in a seedy manufacturing plant in China (many e-cigarettes are manufactured in China, BTW), and does not represent the norm. But others disagree. So it seems to me that the issue is murky enough that if I were smoking those things, I’d be worried enough to do some research. Good luck!
–Bill
Hi Bill,
I was reading through the comments and wanted to respond to what you had posted about the E-Cigarettes. I am 22 have been smoking (pack a day) for about 5 years. Decided 3 days ago to quit. While the first 2 days were terrible I decided to buy one of those E-Cigarettes. My main reason for this was to get “some” nicotine as well as keeping my hands busy. I would think that when a smoker trying to quit wants nicotine or a cigarette, a patch just doesnt really do it. So this fake cig works as a “mind game” for me and keeping my hands busy like I have a real cigarette. I have been able to tell already within 24 hrs of using this fake cig that my cravings and urge all around has deminished. I havent been sucking on it all day like I may have thought in the beginning. Now even though it was a bit pricey and very well may have a chemical found in antifreeze “according to your cleveland post”, if this will help me stomp the urge for the rest of my life then it is 100% worth it. I honestly cant picture myself using it much longer before I am strong enough on my own.
Hi Eric,
Okay – if it helps, then why not? So far as I have been able to tell, there are NO GENERAL RULES for quitting smoking – it’s staying off the cigarette habit long-term that matters! One day at a time.
But in case you find yourself still puffing away on it a few months down the line, please do be careful to check into those unknown long-term effects.
Good luck,
–Bill
bill, sorry mate but you seem to be a bit scared of life itself.
i think anyone who has tried an e ciggie will tell you that quitting is easy. i smoked heavy for 45 years, got an e ciggie gave up in a moment and i feel so much better, easy. as for the possible harmfull side effects, dont they give rat poison to thin the blood,
sorry but some of the posts on here are pathetic like the one about giving up next month cause its the date there mother died of cancer and what made it worse was they said they were so looking foward to the best day of there life when they quit,next month?
wont last a week.
sorry to be so negative but people are going on about giving up smoking like they have a terminal illness and have weeks to live.
get a e fag and you will wonder what all the fuss was about.
45 years, 20/30 a day and it was easy, so there ya go boys and girls and just for bill, today i walked down the road and cars were belching out smoke, possible hazard there mate dare i go out?
sorry folks but the the answer is an e ciggie without a doubt.
August 28, 2009 at 11:47 am
Hey Dennis:
Did you perhaps have a bad day or something ? Since you’ve smoked for 45 years, I guess that makes you an adult (well, sort of). So, as long as I know I’m not addressing some silly little teenager who knows very little of life, here’s my response to you:
I’m trying hard to understand how you could be so judgmental of others. If using e-ciggies (as you refer to them) worked for you, why not do a posting to tell everyone how well it worked for you, and encourage others to give it a try instead of bashing what people do or don’t do.
With regard to your hurtful comment about the person who commented on her mother’s death due to cancer, I can only assume that both your parents are alive and well, or passed away peacefully due to natural causes. Certainly, no one who has ever buried a love one due to cancer could make such a hurtful comment.
Shame on you !
P.S. I did not post this to begin a debate with you either. This is a site where people go to find support.
Dennis,
How terrible of you to judge me about setting my quit date to the day of my beloved mother’s passing. How dare you! You seem like a pompous jerk! We are here on this site to help each other, not to discourage anyone. You, Dennis, should not be writing here at all because you think YOUR way is the ONLY way. So sorry, but we are people who are (or have been) addicted to nicotine. Some may smoke just for the sake of doing something with their hands. Obviously, you are unable to quit your habit by needing an e cigarette.
Please do not post anymore hurtful writings. And Debra said it all. She is now struggling with her quit, and believe me, she encouraged me to find a quit date. God bless her for that!
My date is still Tuesday, September 1 and I am so much looking forward to it. My mother is in heaven, looking down on me, and I’m sure she is very proud that I will quit once again.
Again, shame on you.
Marilyn
im sorry, but i did find it a little hard to take when someone says they are giving up on the day there mother died and looking foward to it, why put it off.
i have posted before on the e cigarette and i found it so easy to just give up on the spot. i really dont see the problem with being judgemental at all, some of the posts on here are like kids crying and being so proud to have gone a day without the weed.
i know thats harsh, but perhaps my problem is the fact i found an easy way out and cannot understand the problems you may have, for that i apologise.
i just bought an e cigarette an gave up the moment i tried one, guess i had it easy,
regards dennis
Hi Debra,
How are you doing today with your quit? I hope you are finding it a little easier than the first day. I have only a couple more days until I quit and I cannot wait! Thank you for responding to Dennis as you did, that was so nice of you.
Let me know how you are and thank you for giving me the encouragement to quit smoking on September 1.
All my best,
Marilyn
HI Debra, I’ve done fantastic today! No smokes since 10:00 pm last night. I have tried the quit meter but am having a hard time downloading it. I used to use whyquit.com meter but it doesn’t seem to be working properly. Oh well, I will use the meter on my computer tomorrow. I am feeling very tired today, but I have to admit, I did not have many urges to smoke today. I am sure tomorrow will be worse than today, and the third day is usually the most difficult for me.
Debra, I am so excited that I have come at least this far once again. As I said, finding the quit date to me is the most difficult.
How are you today? I cannot believe how fast the time is going by for you. You must feel wonderful I bet. You should be so proud of yourself!
I will write again tomorrow to let you know how I did with the non-smoking.
Take care and thank you so much for your support.
Marilyn
Well, Dennis, you certainly seem sure of yourself! Must be something to see the world so clearly in blacks and whites.
A while ago, I sent you a reply to a previous message that contained a link to a site with what I thought was interesting information concerning possible dangers associated with long-term use of e-cigarettes. Did you look at it? If not, because your mind is already made up, then that tells me a lot.
It’s true that from time to time, one can find some fairly silly posts here. After all, it’s a public forum. But the ones that come from the heart – like the ones you mentioned in your note – are NOT silly. So you’ve apologized – which was appropriate and that should be the end of it. Let’s not stir things up unnecessarily. As Debra says: this site needs to offer support to people who are trying to stay with their decision to quit smoking. We don’t all find it as easy as you say you do.
Dennis, on my mother’s death bed, she held my hand and begged me to quit smoking. I miss her very very much especially since her death was so needless. If only she quit smoking when she was younger… Some people find that making a pledge on a loved one’s day can be very special. All I can see even today are my mother’s warm eyes, looking at me, pleading with me that I do not get sick like she did. My children were very young when she passed. Now, I have a beautiful two year old grandson who I want to see grow up. I do not want to die as my mom did, but want to live a full, happy, smoke free life!
I wish you luck with your e-cigs. Hey, we all have our own way of quitting any kind of addiction. Yours is with the e-cigs. Just curious, do they have any taste? ARe they addictive too? Just wondering.
Thanks.
Marilyn
Marilyn, don’t let fools or their foolishness get to you! The important thing is to stay with your quit, one day at a time. Like TODAY.
Best,
–Bill
Bill, thanks so much for your words of encouragement. I know what you mean about the “fools”. I noticed he did not reply to anyone since his last writings. What a fool! hahaha
I enjoy all your writings. Are you still having just one cigarette a week? God bless you if you can do just that. I tried it back in June when I started again after two months but I shortly went back to the pack a day (or more).
Just a couple more days and I’ll be working on my smoke free life.
Marilyn
Well, good luck on that. I think it’s a good idea to emphasize a quit date – makes the whole exercise seem more important. And it IS an important exercise: Life-altering, actually.
As for my “pack-a-week” schedule: I wouldn’t really characterize it that way. I would go without smoking forever if only I could! But sometimes pressures/stresses/shit-that-happens gets to the point where I have an occasional slip. I’ve described above what I do then to control the MAGNITUDE of the slip, by keeping it to a few puffs on one cigarette before trashing the rest. I don’t know if it averages out to one-cigarette-per-week or not. But that’s probably close. I’ve also learned that I CANNOT have a pack available, or I will sneak them, one-at-a-time: So it is essential that I get rid of the new pack after those stolen puffs and make it TRULY unavailable.
Most important: I DO NOT recommend this method across the board. I acknowledge that it’s risky, and I’m not entirely sure why it seems to be working for me. But it has worked for four months in the sense that I have not gone back to regular smoking since my own quit day. At this point, I don’t think I ever will – but of course, we will see, one day at a time. Eventually, of course, the whole idea is to get to a point where I no longer have those urges to smoke – zero. They are getting less and less frequent, but I still have a way to go.
Many years ago, a colleague of mine lost his father to lung cancer, and there was a similar deathbed pledge. My colleague quit. Perhaps he would have quit anyway, but who knows?
So good luck. It’s important.
Bill,
I still applaud you for having just a few puffs. I could never ever do that. Actually, that’s what I did and simply started smoking immediately. I pray that on Tuesday, I will finally quit forever. Isn’t it such a horrible addiction? Geez!!!!
I will keep you posted on how I do with my quit. Thank you so much for writing.
Marilyn
I would do the same as you. I would buy a pack and smoke one cigarette and throw the rest away. Then I would keep 3 or 4 cigarettes out of the next pack and smoke them over the course of the day. One time I threw the pack out the window of my car and went back the next day and recovered the pack. This was insane. If I smoke one more God Damm cigarette it will be only a few days before I start all over again. The withdrawal symtoms only get worse. I don’t want to be glared at as a stupid person for smoking-it doesn’t make sense. I am determined to quit forever.
Sounds good Marilyn. But you know very well that the next few days are not going to be easy! I think there are at least two plateaus. One at about ten days (this is the worst part by far) and the second sometime out around four to five months. Right now, you have to concentrate on the TEN-DAY PLATEAU. At least that is the way it has been for me.
Keep your eyes on the prize: a healthier life with NO cigarettes!
Good luck,
–Bill
Hi Marilyn !
I’m so happy for you ! You did it !! It’s great. It’s fabulous ! You have already saved $9.00 !
I’m counting my savings; going to buy myself something great. I was thinking of you this afternoon when I felt like going to the store and buying a pack…but then I thought “gosh, how would I explain that to Marilyn ”
Be sure to write me back….Ya, my first week has flown by; I’m still not that happy though. I get really cranky and oh the food I am consuming is enough to make me sick. I’m eating way too much..but I’ll deal with that in another week or so.
Keep up the great work !
Debra
Hi Debra and Bill…I’m on day 3 now! Yesterday was really difficult for me, but I did get through it with prayers and deep breaths.
I’m off to work now. I’ll write later.
Thank you again for all your support.
Marilyn
Good job Marilyn Im praying for you also. My quit meter tells me that…
I have been quit for 3 Months, 6 Days, 9 hours, 11 minutes and 33 seconds (98 days). I have saved $354.17 by not smoking 1,967 cigarettes. I have saved 6 Days, 19 hours and 55 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 5/27/2009 11:00 PM… I check in to see how you are doing also everyday so your not alone…
Hi Lori,
Today was not a good day for me. I was fine this morning, happy to start my third day, which I have always found to be the most difficult. A situation arose when I was at work this morning. I became very worried and nervous about a family member, actually I started to shake because of my nerves. I was around smokers most of this afternoon which didn’t help either. Needless to say, I smoked three cigarettes today. I am somewhat disappointed in myself, but I am hoping that tomorrow will bring on a happier day for me. I read that when quitting smoking, we should be in a calm environment, away from smokers in order to succeed. Well, today met all the criteria to not do well.
I will write again tomorrow with all good news about my quit. Hey, I had a small slip. IN fact, I don’t even want one tonight.
Thanks for listening.
Marilyn
Hey Debra! Where are you? How are you today?
Hi Marilyn:
Do we have the same family ? The same exact thing happened to me today; only I smoked 5 cigarettes !! I would write more, but it would only be negative and that’s not healthy for anyone to read. I’m so angry that I don’t have enough energy to be angry at myself ! ( does that make sense).
Ya, let’s both get back on that wagon tomorrow…..
Debra
Hi Debra,
Oh well, we had a slip. No big deal if we plan to not smoke again starting today. I keep thinking of that first day, how difficult it is to choose a day. I can still breath a little better, and I am still going to right against smoking! So, Debra, think of how much better you feel, how you were coughing so bad that you put the cigarettes down. Don’t be angry at yourself, be proud that today you will be right back to where you were a day ago. No need to feel bad, just be happy today! You are still a non-smoker!
Best of luck to you today my friend,
Marilyn
Well, okay Jimmy. I don’t claim it works for everyone, and I do NOT endorse it as a sensible way to quit smoking. But I can say that it has helped me, and that I have been off regular smoking for more than four months. As a matter of fact, I believe that I will NEVER go back to regular smoking. That’s the holy grail, isn’t it? At least, it is the holy grail for me.
I think that there may be SOME other people out there for whom this could be a positive thing. Maybe not you, unfortunately, but maybe others. I don’t know how many, and I wouldn’t know how to talk to them as a group. All I can say is that HERE IS MY OWN STORY. For whatever it may be worth.
Best wishes to all,
—Bill
Hi Bill,
Great post to Debra. I had a 15 year quit until I started again two years ago. After a year, I had absolutely no desires or urges to ever smoke again. In fact, a family death occurred two years ago in which I became hysterical. Outside the hospital where a family member passed, another in-law told me I needed a cigarette. I refused because I didn’t want one. She insisted and I took just one. That one cigarette cost me thousands of dollars soon to go into the third year of smoking.
Debra did offer fantastic advice for me. I will definitely dress up as a smoker on Halloween and put that last cigarette out in a dirty ashtray! I love the idea.
Thanks all for motivating me. I am scared, but now I at least have a quit date.
Marilyn