Giving up smoking - again.....

"Worst day of my life ...cranky ..miserable ...irratable .."

And that was before he gave up smoking.....

Actually, I quit drinking once....those eight minutes and seventeen seconds seemed like an eternity.....

OK - let's get serious....at the moment I'm caught between desperately wanting to quit for all sorts of reasons, and desperately craving a cigarette....the good news is, is 4.17 AM and there is nowhere open for at least a couple of hours, by which time I should be asleep. I'm caught at the moment between two fences....for the last few weeks I've been a bloke who's got no cigarettes, I've yet to get to the stage where I think of myself as a non-smoker....once I've got that mentality, I'll find it a little easier each day.

Anyway, I'm still trying - VERY trying, some might say....and it's been over four weeks now since I had a cigarette.

So far, that's £29 to Cancer Research....I really want to make it £365 on Jan 1st next year....

:D :D :D

Vic

Vic, DON'T DO IT!

Get some really good chewy candy, like licorice, or some tasty extravagance instead...something that you can savor and spend a while with.

Pick up a guitar and play. Keep those hands busy. For gosh sake, BREAK SOMETHING! (fixable, that is, no bones)

Do NOT cave to this temptation. You have little grandbabies who deserve to have their grandpa around during their growing up.

Cancer sucks bigtime and emphysema ain't much better. Difficult to rock out with an oxygen tank strapped on.

Be strong.

Margaret

Sheeesh, Margaret, save some for the rest of us.

You can do it, Vic. Hang in there.

I doubt you'll read this in time but GO VIC!!!! :D

Vic, DON'T DO IT!

Pick up a guitar and play. Keep those hands busy. For gosh sake, BREAK SOMETHING! (fixable, that is, no bones)

Margaret

Grrr.....last time you mentioned breaking things, my top E string went....now I'm scared to touch a guitar.....!!!

Still haven't had one..... :D

I find it helps to identify certain key times....like that first cup of tea in a morning, now I hit the biscuits.....after a meal, now I'll have a yoghurt and do the washing up...and as for keeping my hands busy, if I'm watching TV, I'll have a guitar handy - that's if can find one that still has a top E string - either the electric or the bass, and play unplugged....

And of course there are always plenty of mints handy......

We're unpopular with the family at the moment....we don't allow anyone to smoke in the house (can't stand the smell, and that's a good sign!) they have to go out in the back yard with the door shut.....even if it is cold and rainy - our attitude is "Tough, get used to it....you'll have to go outside pubs and restaurants soon for a smoke, think of this as good practise...."

So thanks everyone for your encouragemrnt and support - it's still hard work, but I'm getting there!

:D :D :D

Vic

It sounds like you are on the right track.

Good job, Vic!!!! 8)

SO glad to hear you didn't cave, Vic! :D

You're fortunate to be thin and not have to worry about those extra calories consumed, so count your blessings and enjoy some goodies for those of us who struggle with weight.

Speaking of "biscuits" (cookies, right?), you probably have access to the best cookies in the world. A friend of mine visited Denmark and brought me back a box of "Digestive Biscuits" if I remember correctly. They were like graham crackers only much better, with chocolate on one side. Oh my gosh, they are better even than Girl Scout Cookies, I kid you not! If any of you folks on that side of the pond come this way, bring me a case of Digestive Biscuits and I'll make you rich, well for a day, at least. :lol:

Good job making the relatives go outdoors to smoke. You're clearing out your lungs and don't need any of their smoke to foul things up again. They'll get used to it. When my sister comes to visit I make sure there is an empty tin can with sand in it on the patio for her to put her butts in.

Like Bish said, GO, VIC!!!

Margaret

Good job Vic! Keep it up!

Same goes to you racetruck!

Barnabus, don't be too hard on yourself. It's a tough thing to do. I haven't had a smoke since October 2nd and I'm still fighting with it. The only thing I can tell you is I rarely think about smoking now. So it does get easier. I can even go to bars and not even think about smoking (I do think about how much everyone stinks though). Luckily we had a law pass first of the year which says that anyplace that anyone under 18 can enter has to be smoke free. So at least I don't have to smell smoke right after dining out. That was always one of the worst times for me. Bars are still bad, but I just ignore it as best as I can. Anyway, try again!!

The money I've been saving allowed me to get a new truck (bigger monthly payment). Having something to show for it helps as well.

Jason

When my sister comes to visit I make sure there is an empty tin can with sand in it on the patio for her to put her butts in.

I put the butt container in the neighbors yard. ;) And my neighbor is 4 blocks away. So they usually finish their cig on the way to the butt holder.

WTG, Jason!!! Congrats, bud!!!

Read this in a wellness magazine yesterday:

"People who smoke lose an average of 13 to 14 years from their life. Half of all lifetime smokers wind up dying early of smoking-related causes."

My dad (dead of lung cancer at age 54) was one of those. My sister will likely be, too. She has constant bronchitis, recently developed severe asthma, and has frequent colds and sinus infections. During warm weather when she goes outside to do her morning hacking, her farm neighbor over a quarter-mile away can hear her. Emphysema can't be far off. But she is in denial and attributes it all to "allergies." :? She's 48 years old and can't see that cigarettes are killing her. :cry:

Margaret

Margaret, that is so sad.

I'm sorry for you and your family.

"People who smoke lose an average of 13 to 14 years from their life. Half of all lifetime smokers wind up dying early of smoking-related causes."

Absolutely. "Smoking related causes" also eat up a hefty chunk of our health budgets. Money that could have been spent on fixing damage that wasn't self inflicted. Problems with being overweight are also now being seen as "the new smoking" in many who work in the health area. (Good on you for all your positive posts on both topics here. 8) )

Sorry to hear about your Dad and sister, Margaret. It must be painful to see it happen. :( I have a brother in law who is a heavy smoker (and overweight) and it's sad to watch him try and do anything. After literally a few steps he stops and gasps for breath. His quality of life is ridiculously low because there's so many things that he just can't do any more. His energy levels and ability to participate in anything physical are completely shot. He's thrown away half his life without even dying. :(

Ten years ago I survived two major life threatening medical problems, and in both cases my chances of pulling through were greatly increased because I wasn't a smoker at the time.

And of course, in the 25 years since I quit I've saved many tens of thousands of dollars. Here's just some of the things I've bought:

1. A social conscience. Always fancied one, but alas all the spare change always seemed to be going on cigarettes. :P But now I can afford to pay for my software and sheet music instead of ripping it all off. And I don't avert my eyes and walk past the collection tins any more - I stop and put something in. I even support one group on a regular basis. Boy, do I feel smug about that!!! :roll: Seriously though, it does make you feel more like a winner when you can contribute rather than just consume.

2. Middle aged crisis toys (AKA The Male Menoporsche - so named because old farts like me tend to rush out and buy Porsches to try and outrun the Grim Reaper...). Over 25 years it really does add up to a seriously large amount of money. More than enough to have paid cash for this particular piece of shameless self indulgence.

Not a Porsche, but still very quick. Nearly as deadly as lung cancer if mishandled...

Keep it up lads. Health and Wealth are beckoning in your direction.... :D

Cheers,

Chris

"People who smoke lose an average of 13 to 14 years from their life. Half of all lifetime smokers wind up dying early of smoking-related causes."

Yes, there are lots of smoking related illnesses....but I wonder what the stats say about people who've smoked for 30 years and then quit? How long does it take to get back to normal?

I've made it through a whole month....already I've lost my morning cough, and today a mate who I haven't seen since before Xmas mentioned my voice had changed....when pressed, he said it sounded clearer. I've noticed that in my "singing" - for want of a better word, too - I seem to be able to hold a note for longer, and I can hit higher notes than a few weeks ago without straining....

Marilyn has used inhalers for over 20 years - since stopping, she's hardly needed them. I feel almost ready for some gentle exercise.....I always swore I'd never join a gym, but I could do with losing a bit around the midriff....probably due to lack of exercise...

Ah well, let's see if I can get through February....I'm quietly optimistic....

Haven't seen a huge benefit yet money wise - apart from the fact than when the January bill for the phone/cable TV/internet came in, we were able to pay it straight away....

:D :D :D

Vic

Yes, there are lots of smoking related illnesses....but I wonder what the stats say about people who've smoked for 30 years and then quit? How long does it take to get back to normal?
Heart attack risk drops very quickly, and off the top of my head, I think within 5 years is about the same as nonsmokers with other risk factors being equal.

Pulmonary function decline goes pretty much immediately off of the steep downhill course of smokers to the more gradual one of nonsmokers, but you can't put back what you've lost. May see some immediate improvement from removing the irritant effects of smoke.

Cancer may be a slow developing thing with a 20 to 30 year lead time, so can still show up long after quitting. But it makes sense not to keep pouring in carcinogens.

I just Googled the phrase "benefits of quitting smoking." Here are some sample results:

http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/afterquitting/a/after_quitting.htm

http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=33568

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Guide_for_Quitting_Smoking.asp

http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/benefits.htm

Catching up a bit here---

That's nice that you're hearing the benefits of being a non-smoker in your singing, Vic!

Racetruck, how's it going on your end?

Must be getting a bit easier as time goes?

You have both done great so far! Congratulations!!! :D

Margaret