I've been a smoker since I was 12 years old. I'm 2 days smoke free and already enjoying myself. Not many cravings because my cigs were so light and I smoked so little, so it's made it easier. I woke up the other day and noticed holding my breath was making me cough a little after I had run 3 miles. I have no problems with any physical activity etc, but had this problem holding my breath.
 
It really scared me...then reality set in. I've not been to a Dr. in 7-10 years. God knows what they'll find wrong with me. But before I get there on Monday, this smoking thing will be one less thing I need to stop doing. I also got to thinking....and wait till you hear this...it's just sickening...
 
I got to thinking how great my body has been to me. If my poor lil lungs are all messed up, it's no one's fault but my own. But I must say, this is a vicious habit. If I could have checked into a rehab for it, I seriously would have. That said, I've been in great shape now working on my 3rd day of no smoke. I desire NOT to smoke more than I want one when the urge comes. Though I don't feel replacing that urge with food or something else is the right move, I sure have been enjoying celery sticks and carrots....so I'm not doing anything too bad. :)
 
But here's the kicker and what I put into perspective. My father and me were talking. He said "Danny, when I quit they just went to .30 cents per pack." Then I looked at my situation. My cigs are special cigs, don't ask me how or why special...they kill like all the others but....they are over $9.00 per pack and $92.00 a carton! What am I nuts?!
 
That's like having a man come to my house and take nearly $100 from me every two weeks while saying "ok, keep in mind now Danny, each time you buy a carton of these, I will take one month off of your life, ok?" I'm sitting here paying to die pretty much and live a horrible life. And who knows, it may already be too late. Why don't we see things like this? Ever see anyone die from cancer? I have...and it's horrible. But the whole time I'm thinking...."I'm too young for that to be me". I just lost a friend I went to school with since 1st grade to lung cancer. I'm lucky I can breathe, sing, jog, do sports, martial arts. It was time.
 
2 days later, I can hold my breath without a single cough. I'm sitting here typing while timing myself holding my breath. 1 minute and 15 seconds. Not too bad for a smoker that's abused his poor body since he was 12 years old. I'm just glad I wasn't a super smoker. I mean ok, in years maybe, but I never did a whole pack in one day and always smoked the lightest ones I could find. Funny story..
 
The last time I did see my Dr. we talked about me quitting with the patch and some medication. The first thing he did was look up the cigs I smoked and then he said "might be a problem...the lightest patch and meds I have here, have more nicotine in them than your cigs." I was pretty surprised to see 0.1 tar, 0.1 nic. 10 of mine are like equal to 1 Marlboro red...sheesh!
 
Anyway, I just felt like venting about this. It's probably one of the hardest things I've had to do, yet in a sense, it's not been hard at all. My hands move to reach for my pack...and it's not here. Hahaha! I washed out all my ashtrays, put my cigs in a box as well as my lighters, and it's been out of sight, out of mind. So far so good...Saturday is gonna suck though. I got a show and like to have a few drinks. No drinks for me...it's near impossible to be a smoker and have a drink, especially right now. So if I don't drink, I won't want to smoke. :)  Wish me luck! I'm soo going to try my best to beat this. I owe it to me, and my great lil body which has never let me down. :)
 
-Danny

Good luck Danny!

I was smoking 2 packs of Marlboro red a day when I decided it was killing me.  that was 23 years ago!

Good luck Danny! You're absolutely doing the right thing.

You mentioned the cost of cigarettes..back when I ran a sign company one of my co-directors would buy 40 cigarettes, a bottle of wine and a 4-pack of beer..every single day. Back then that would have come to around £100 per week..enough to pay for a mortgage and buy a small house. I pointed that out to him once...he never batted an eyelid.

Keep us posted on how it's going!

Good luck Danny.


best regards,
mike

Keep at it Danny!

We more or less stopped smoking in September 2010

I say more or less because when we go to the pub, we might have a couple with a beer (and we only go to the pub once a week these days) so Saturday night is binge night!

If the craving gets too much, try a little nicotine gum

.

At least you're not a nicotine addict. That'll make it much easier. When I changed to a milder brand, I smoked twice as much. Now I've been struggling for six-seven years, mostly without tobacco of any kind, but I have spent quite a few pack of nicotine chewing gum.

Once, when I finished a smoke-break of five years, I smoked a pack of Marlboro reds in four hours. And every single one of them tasted good. You enter the danger-zone the moment you say:"Quitting wasn't that hard, actually!" that is inaudibly continued :" ...so I can smoke this one just for the old times sake! I won't slip."

Good Luck Brother....this is not an easy one to get over....but you are doing the right thing....

Also, you can drink before the show.......just make it a diet coke! (or Regular one if you hate the diet stuff)

Or.....bring some water bottles with you and use that flavoring squirt aids that do not have that arspitimen in it.....or what ever it is called.....

Hang in there
Clifford

Truckermusic


Good Luck Brother....this is not an easy one to get over....but you are doing the right thing....

Also, you can drink before the show.......just make it a diet coke! (or Regular one if you hate the diet stuff)

Or.....bring some water bottles with you and use that flavoring squirt aids that do not have that arspitimen in it.....or what ever it is called.....
Or just go au natrual.....water and lemon slices!  (just think of it as water sangria!)
Hang in there
Clifford

I quit smoking several year ago ... after, of course, having found out I had a heart issue diagnosed... 


Be good to yourself!!