Quitting Cigarettes

I quit in 2000 after about 20 years of smoking. Had tried a few times and would go awhile and then 1 would lead to starting all over. Was having some digestive issues that turned out to be gall bladder but when I went to my doctor he was pretty direct which I am glad of. He said are you still smoking a pack a day or more and drinking a 12 pack every few days ? Yes Doc.....he said then what the hell are you doing here asking me to help you for if you can't help yourself. Point taken! From there I thought to myself I have always been able to accomplish most things I set my mind to so there is no way these cigaretts are going to lead me around by the nose anymore. Took a few years after that till I decided to give up alcohol. So now I can truly say "don't drink, don't smoke, don't chew and don't mess with girls that do"

 

Congrats on your decision to quit. Just remember one day at a time. I stopped cold turkey 14 years ago. You can do it.

 

Thanksgiving weekend 1995 for me.Cold turkey & never looked back.Sure I wasn't the most pleasant guy to be around the first 2 weeks.... but after that things improved greatly.Food tastes better,you'll have more energy & your health will be improving immediately.And you'll really be thankful for that as you get older. As tiring as my full time job can be,plus working part time in the woods - I get reminded every time when doing things really strenuous that if I still smoked they would not just be difficult,but impossible.Like swinging a heavy maul,sledge or climbing.

 

Thanks. Been puffing since I was a senior in high school in 1995. I haven't had a puff since last week. I'm going to do it. I have no choice.

 

Keep at it Firecracker...were all pulling for you. Many of us have given them nasty things up...sometimes the hardest part is not the nicotene it is the reaching for them at times you always did because they become a part of your life just like reaching for your wallet when you need to pay for something. If you have to, change up certain routines in your day to help. Hang with it brother.

 

Really good advice. Changing your routines help break up the pattern of reaching for the cigs. I have heard that putting an elastic on your wrist and snapping it a few times when the craving hit helps to distract you. Hang in there - you will make it!

 

I look at it as a dailything. It's not been too bad so far. Only been a couple days, but once you go a few weeks, it becomes a psychological only addiction at that point.

 

Each craving only lasts 2-5 minutes. Once it's over you are good to go till the next one. Take them one at a time. Don't project into the future.

Jan. 9, 2012 was my last one. Not easy, but doable. Stay strong.

 

Firecracker...I'm so happy for you! My husband, never smoked, never really sick a day in his life was diagnosed with a rare form of genetic lung cancer 5 years ago. He's cured now, but going to Fox Chase Cancer Center for his treatments has etched in my head awful images of true effects of smoking. If you ever need someone to remind you how much greater your life is WITHOUT cigarettes, PM me and I'll keep you on track
Good Luck!

 

I hear you all...it's something every smoker thinks in the back of their mind...they know they need to quit before the cancer and other lung problems take hold. You can't know whether you will get lung cancer anyway, but the longer you have bad habits.....

 

With diabetes anyway, smoking attacks an already weakened circulatory system...not a good move for me to keep that up.

 

HM, glad to hear your hubby was able to be cured. Fox Chase is an excellent cancer center.

 

That is pretty impressive. Lung cancer in remission.

 

Ha, quitting smoking is easy. Heck, I used to quit several times a year...tap-tap...hello?....is this thing on?....

Seriously though, I found for me that to be successful at quitting took a reason to quit. It wasn't good enough to quit because it was too expensive, or I thought I should, or my wife tells me I should. I had to actually want to quit. I was sick of all the bollocks that went along with smoking. I had my last cigarette when my daughter was 3 months old, she will be 21 (years) this December. I never had another one since (however, I'm just as poor as when I did smoke, just use the money on some other useless nonsense like food or wood or a roof over our heads or...). Drinking was a little harder, but I was able to throw that yoke off also.

So if an old useless codger (sure like spell check) like me can do it, anyone can.

 

What are you, Marty McFly? Quit in the future and jumped in your Delorean to come back and tell us about it? Hopefully it was powered by pellets...

Just kidding.. Congrats on quitting. Esophageal Cancer sucks.. Good friend of mine had it a few years ago... Chemo-surgery-chemo and he's good to go for now. Not even a smoker... Good luck...

 

Sounds like you're going to do okay.. my buddy's was at the bottom of his esophagus.. it affected the valve (technical term) at the top of his stomach. He has to sleep slightly inclined now so stomach acid doesn't come up and doesn't eat as much as he used to.. but he's alive and that's a good thing... they're getting better and better at this medicine thing.. that's for sure..