I'm quitting...

[Voymom]

Smoking that is. I was smoke free for 3 months after a quit date of Dec 17th 2011. I managed to hold out for 3 months. But I relapsed and I have been back to smoking for almost a month now. I really need to stop smoking for the sake of my health and for my children. It's just so damn hard after being a smoker for 15+ years.

I have set another quit date for April 8th(Easter Sunday) So I can mentally prepare myself for the struggles I will have while quitting a second time.

I feel it is really important to have encouragement and people to share these struggles with, it makes coping so much easier. So if there are any smokers out there brave enough to quit with me on Easter Sunday, feel free to join in! Or if your a quitter already, feel free to offer advice, and encouragement because we all know, us quitters are going to need it.

And imagine how much money we will all save!!! And how much healthier we can all be not only for ourselves, but for loved ones.

April 8th 2012 will be my official quit date, cold turkey!

 

[TexazReece]

Well just ndont give into the urge, my mom quit smoking finally and she's been smoking for years and she's still going strong not smoking. If you lasted 3 months then you most definitely can qut it longer than that and eventually not even think of cigs............go Voymom :wootwoot: go Voymom

 

[stormsurge]

Smoking that is. I was smoke free for 3 months after a quit date of Dec 17th 2011. I managed to hold out for 3 months. But I relapsed and I have been back to smoking for almost a month now. I really need to stop smoking for the sake of my health and for my children. It's just so damn hard after being a smoker for 15+ years.

I have set another quit date for April 8th(Easter Sunday) So I can mentally prepare myself for the struggles I will have while quitting a second time.

I feel it is really important to have encouragement and people to share these struggles with, it makes coping so much easier. So if there are any smokers out there brave enough to quit with me on Easter Sunday, feel free to join in! Or if your a quitter already, feel free to offer advice, and encouragement because we all know, us quitters are going to need it.

And imagine how much money we will all save!!! And how much healthier we can all be not only for ourselves, but for loved ones.

April 8th 2012 will be my official quit date, cold turkey!

I cut my smoking in half using blu electric cigs. they work good. Walgreens sales them.

 

[ItsOnVoy]

That is great to hear!! You will feel a hell of a lot better once you quit also, and better mood more etc. Just have gum a lot of it which helps some because it keeps there mouth busy and all. Also, the physical addiction is only so long, after that its all mental!! You can do it trust me many do it so you can also!! Now if you want I can state the facts of the smokes and a video which might really make you quit so you don't have to be like that lol

 

[Voymom]

That is great to hear!! You will feel a hell of a lot better once you quit also, and better mood more etc. Just have gum a lot of it which helps some because it keeps there mouth busy and all. Also, the physical addiction is only so long, after that its all mental!! You can do it trust me many do it so you can also!! Now if you want I can state the facts of the smokes and a video which might really make you quit so you don't have to be like that lol

Thanks Sam, and of course everyone else!!! Feel free to post all the nasty facts and video's of smoking. If it doesn't help me, maybe it will help someone else, which of course is the goal of this thread.

 

[djthumper]

August will be 3 years that I quit smoking cold turkey. I tried the nicotine gum and chewed a whole 3 pieces and decided it was worse then just smoking. I just decided to get gum, mints, and jolly ranchers. I also had a lot of support of friends along the way, mostly facebook and myspace and at work. I had smoked for about 24 years and practiced quitting 4 or 5 times.

 

[Voymom]

August will be 3 years that I quit smoking cold turkey. I tried the nicotine gum and chewed a whole 3 pieces and decided it was worse then just smoking. I just decided to get gum, mints, and jolly ranchers. I also had a lot of support of friends along the way, mostly facebook and myspace and at work. I had smoked for about 24 years and practiced quitting 4 or 5 times.

It's hard that's for sure. I quit once when I was 17 as I was pregnant with my first child, but after that I haven't been able to , until Dec of course. I too tried the gum, the patch which i'm allergic to, and the lozenges, and nothing worked. In Dec I used lots of jolly ranchers and the lifesavers mints....they worked pretty good, I'm going to pick a few more bags up at the store this weekend.

 

[ItsOnVoy]

Thanks Sam, and of course everyone else!!! Feel free to post all the nasty facts and video's of smoking. If it doesn't help me, maybe it will help someone else, which of course is the goal of this thread.

Well then in that case haha I got you!! Now my field is pretty much medical and I have worked at a gym for many years and currently working at a hospital so I do have a good idea of smoking and what it does to people. Let me tell you how much it ruins some of the patients lives or really puts them in danger and puts things in delays with them. I cannot say anything or conditions they have been or stories due to laws I have to follow on that but take my word on it, its not worth it trust me!!

All the chemicals in that plasti dip you guys put up, bathroom cleaners, window cleaners you name it I say yes is in a SINGLE cig. There are over 4000 chemical in each one including nicotine witch is what gets you hooked onto them. So every time you have one just remember what your smoking is in all those chemicals you use to clean everyday things. I wont get too into this and keep it at that

Spoiler

Here is a healthy lung vs a smokers lung

Now things like cancer in the mouth, throat, nails etc can get pretty graphical so i am not going to post those and just let you Google them if you want to see them at your own risk. Do not want to get blame for anything too much for someone is all

Here are some videos of people that have been smoking for so long and kind of there life story and what they are going through etc...
[video=youtube;jn8JYcApjlY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn8JYcApjlY&feature=endscreen&NR=1[/video]
[video=youtube;R4azcU6i2IE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4azcU6i2IE&feature=related[/video]


Also this might help some out,

Those who smoke 1 pack a week (saying a pack is what $6.25?) = $6.25 a week, $25 a month, $300 a year
Those who smoke 1 pack a day = $43.75 a week, $175 a month, $2100 a year
Those who smoke 2 packs + a day = $87.50+ a week, $350+ a month, $4200+ a month


Now think of all that money your spending and how much you can save up and use on Carltons LED mods JK but usually some see how much they spend and that makes them want to quit. So Tami you asked for facts and all and here you go didn't go into detail but its a good idea of it

 

[djthumper]

It's hard that's for sure. I quit once when I was 17 as I was pregnant with my first child, but after that I haven't been able to , until Dec of course. I too tried the gum, the patch which i'm allergic to, and the lozenges, and nothing worked. In Dec I used lots of jolly ranchers and the lifesavers mints....they worked pretty good, I'm going to pick a few more bags up at the store this weekend.

I think I carried Ice Breaker mints and maybe some life savers. I think I did a daily post on FB to keep friends knowing that I wasn't smoking and then it became when ever someone asked how long it has been.

 

[bravader]

I used chantix after 7 days I had no desire at all to smoke. Smoke free going on a month easily.

 

[TollKeeper]

I am with you VoyMom. This, I HOPE, will also be my last week smoking. I have been smoking for 27 years.. And I am only 35 years old. I dont want to end up like the people in those videos above, and I also dont want to leave my wife, or my kids (if I have them) without a father.

God damned its going to be hard thou!!

 

[DucatiSS]

A short story.


When I tried to quit it lasted about 2 days and I went right back. About 3 months later I knew I had to do something. I told my wife that I wanted to do some more scuba diving, however in order to do it I would have to buy some new gear. Not cheap gear, but some nice new gear. I made a bet with her that if I quit, I could buy the equipment that I needed and she wouldn't say a thing. If I started smoking again, she could take all of the gear and sell it and keep the money. It was a bet that I didn't want to lose and a bet that I knew she would collect on.
That was in 1988 and I am still smoke free.

Make a bet with someone, anyone, that you know will collect. It has to be something big that you don't want to lose. Maybe your truck, a gun, a favorite (insert item here). Whatever it is, it has to be something that you don't want to lose and it has to be with someone that will actually take that item away and get rid of it.

It worked for me.

 

[BO TIE SS]

Just do it!

I quit smoking cold turkey on May 1, 2000. I think picking a day is the best way to do it. I went through stages, from it being very hard to the point where I am now. I don't even think about smoking...even when I'm around smokers.

Long after I had quit, I saw a chart in a doctors office. Here is an abbreviated version...

If you quit smoking 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 3 to 9 months coughing, 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.


Good luck! It's well worth the effort.

 

[harmless]

Congrats and good luck!!!

 

[Uncle Blazer]

I used chantix after 7 days I had no desire at all to smoke. Smoke free going on a month easily.

I used this also. Trippy dreams, but it works. Some insurance carriers will cover the cost(usually a one-time smoking cessation benefit) and the Dr.s offices usually have promo coupons to cut the cost of the pills. just like any other addiction, you have to be 100% in to quit or a relapse is just around the corner. You have 6 good reasons to quit, and down the road you will have grandchildren you will want to be around for to watch grow up.

 

[gippy1968]

Good on you VM!

I quite almost 2 years ago after many half-assed attempts. What finally worked for me was a 100% committment to quit. Also, something the furthered my resolve was smelling someone who had just come in from having a smoke and thinking 'wow, I used to reek like that'. It wasn't easy but it certainly can be done once you are all in 100%!
Did you know that nicotine and it's physical cravings leave your body after about just 1 week? From then on its all mental.

Good luck Voy Mom, you can do it!!

 

[jbones]

You can do it! All us smokers have tried and failed, it's just part of quitting.

My dumb ass brother get me hooked in the summer of “75” or “76”, we’d steal Lucky Strikes from our neighbors garage and walk the railroad tracks for a couple hours putting a pack down.
I quit just two years ago, maybe more! I didn't pick a day. I just didn't buy a pack on the way to work one day, and never looked back. For me I found the whole picking a day routine, and having an anniversary was a reminder I didn't need, it only helped me to fail later. I don't need to be reminded I’m an addict hooked on the nicotine of cigarettes; I just need to be a non-smoker with no triggers.

Good luck!

 

[cbwilsha]

Good Luck, Voymom. It will be the best thing you ever accomplished. I smoked for 40 years and quit 28 years ago. Unfortunately, I still ended up with COPD with a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. I'm betting you will make it!

C.B. (83 years old)

 

[Mark20]

Best wishes VoyMom!

 

[Voymom]

Thanks everyone!! The hardest part will be getting hubby on board with me as he is a smoker too. That's actually how I ended up relapsing. He would bring me home smokes from friends at work, or come crawl into bed smelling like an ash tray. Then one day he bought me a whole pack, and that was it. I started right back up. I really want to quit. After 5 births I have gotten a bit out of shape. I have been going to a gym on a regular basis but it's hard to do cardio not being able to breathe most of the time. When I did quit for the short 3 months I could breathe normally, taste my food better, had more energy to go play with the kids and enjoyed all the good from being a quitter, that and I was proud of myself for actually doing it, because it is very difficult for me, as I suffer from chronic panic attacks.

I was told I have COPD, but I'm not so sure. I think the ER doc said it to scare me into quitting. I went in for a panic attack and she came out and said I had end stage COPD and wouldn't see my 15 month old daughter go to her first day of kindergarten which was extremely harsh. I don't want to short change my family, they deserve a healthy mommy! And so they are my inspiration to quit again, but this time for good.

I like Ducati's idea, but I have to come up with something first. My dad would be the person to make the bet with, he is always in the mood to get free toys lol. Maybe if I get the SS I will tell him he can have it if I relapse again? I think that would motivate him to instigate me a bit to buy a pack though I know if the tables were turned I would do the same

 

[DucatiSS]

I like Ducati's idea, but I have to come up with something first. My dad would be the person to make the bet with, he is always in the mood to get free toys lol. Maybe if I get the SS I will tell him he can have it if I relapse again? I think that would motivate him to instigate me a bit to buy a pack though I know if the tables were turned I would do the same

It works. But the bet has to be big. I have talked to some people and they say, " I made a $100 bet". Well, that isn't enough because when it gets to be crunch time you will come up with $100 just to smoke. If you make it for more money than that, you will light up and just welsh on the bet. It has to be something you own and don't want to give up. It could even be a favorite tattoo. If you lose, you would have to remove it with a laser.

 

[djthumper]

You can do it! All us smokers have tried and failed, it's just part of quitting.

My dumb ass brother get me hooked in the summer of “75” or “76”, we’d steal Lucky Strikes from our neighbors garage and walk the railroad tracks for a couple hours putting a pack down.
I quit just two years ago, maybe more! I didn't pick a day. I just didn't buy a pack on the way to work one day, and never looked back. For me I found the whole picking a day routine, and having an anniversary was a reminder I didn't need, it only helped me to fail later. I don't need to be reminded I’m an addict hooked on the nicotine of cigarettes; I just need to be a non-smoker with no triggers.

Good luck!

That is why I called my previous attempts practice.

Thanks everyone!! The hardest part will be getting hubby on board with me as he is a smoker too. That's actually how I ended up relapsing. He would bring me home smokes from friends at work, or come crawl into bed smelling like an ash tray. Then one day he bought me a whole pack, and that was it. I started right back up. I really want to quit. After 5 births I have gotten a bit out of shape. I have been going to a gym on a regular basis but it's hard to do cardio not being able to breathe most of the time. When I did quit for the short 3 months I could breathe normally, taste my food better, had more energy to go play with the kids and enjoyed all the good from being a quitter, that and I was proud of myself for actually doing it, because it is very difficult for me, as I suffer from chronic panic attacks.

I was told I have COPD, but I'm not so sure. I think the ER doc said it to scare me into quitting. I went in for a panic attack and she came out and said I had end stage COPD and wouldn't see my 15 month old daughter go to her first day of kindergarten which was extremely harsh. I don't want to short change my family, they deserve a healthy mommy! And so they are my inspiration to quit again, but this time for good.

I like Ducati's idea, but I have to come up with something first. My dad would be the person to make the bet with, he is always in the mood to get free toys lol. Maybe if I get the SS I will tell him he can have it if I relapse again? I think that would motivate him to instigate me a bit to buy a pack though I know if the tables were turned I would do the same

If you want that new radio for the truck, set that as the goal. Get yourself that TM-D710A with the GPS unit. That was actually one of my goals, I wanted new toys to add to my arsenal of electronics.

 

[CaptainKD]

I used chantix after 7 days I had no desire at all to smoke. Smoke free going on a month easily.

+1 for Chantix. I smoked for 12 years and attempted several methods (gum, patch, mints, cold turkey, etc) to stop with no success. After a week on Chantix I was able to stop smoking without a problem. It was one of the easiest things I've done. The thing that I liked the most is that the day I stopped smoking I did not have a single urge or craving to smoke ever again. It was almost as if I never smoked to begin with. It's been 2.5 years and I haven't had a single cigarette (or wanted one ). I highly recommend that ask your doctor about Chantix if your not able to quit another way.

Good luck!

 

[Sparky]

I had a coworker (who drives a trailblazer, by the way) who quit cold turkey a while back. That was what worked for him. He said he was the worst person to deal with for about a week, but it got better after that. He said physical addiction side is over in only a few days, but the hardest part was the mental addiction, particularly in social circles. He adjusted his social time because for some reason some people would not respect his decision to quit and kept trying to get him to have one "for old time's sake." That part I think would be the hardest. Now he said there is no temptation to start again as he can't even stand the smell of smoke anymore.

I've never been there since I never started. Honestly I never saw the attraction, but then maybe that's also because as a kid I'd get sick every time we went to see my uncle (he smokes). That turned me away from it a loooong time ago.

Do what you need to do, whatever method works for you (cold turkey, gum, mints, chantix, whatever), and stick with your decision to quit.

Best of luck to ya!

Hopefully you can get your husband on board with quitting them. Maybe show him those pictures you can find online of a set of smoker's lungs, that alone would scare the crap out of me

 

[KS_Cottonwood]

Good luck. Coming up on my 10th year anniversary of quitting. I couldn't tell you when I originally started, but know exactly when I quit...

 

[Jkust]

There are a few things in life that I'm speechless that anybody does and smoking is one of them. My assistant has tried to quit several times this last year and has now just started Chantix because cold turkey didn't work and my colleague is using it now with good success after smoking for several decades. I was suprised too at how much a pack of them costs nowdays and just imagine what you could do with that much more money every month. Good luck to you.

 

[TollKeeper]

24 hours here... Ready to hurt someone... BREATHE!!!! BREATHE!!!

 

[Voymom]

24 hours here... Ready to hurt someone... BREATHE!!!! BREATHE!!!

Oh wow Brian. Good luck! We can definitely do it!!! I will be right behind you.

 

[Uncle Blazer]

I quit chewing yesterday in support of Voymom.

 

[Voymom]

I quit chewing yesterday in support of Voymom.

Thanks!!!! It's been a hard road but it will get easier. Lots of jolly ranchers and gum. We can do this!!

 

[Hatchet]

i took up smoking her portion in support for Voymom...

oh wait...

 

[Ace1875]

I think if cigarettes are made into small penis shapes, that would make all the straight men and lesbians quit on a finger snap.... women will smoke but wont inhale thus keeping their lungs safe....the only people left smoking are the............welll its an idea.

 

[Voymom]

I think if cigarettes are made into small penis shapes, that would make all the straight men and lesbians quit on a finger snap.... women will smoke but wont inhale thus keeping their lungs safe....the only people left smoking are the............welll its an idea.

I'm not a lesbian so that wouldn't help me at all lol

 

[Ace1875]

I'm not a lesbian so that wouldn't help me at all lol

DARN

 

[leffty]

Small steps, I was a 2+ pack a day for a long time. I made small goals every day. First it was hours then half days then days. when I made my first week goal is when I knew I had it beat. been 13 years in Feb and still have the goal to see how long I can go without one. the feeling I had when thinking of quitting just made me want to smoke that much more. Baby steps treat it like climbing a mountain cant get there all at once. good luck

 

[bravader]

I used this also. Trippy dreams, but it works. Some insurance carriers will cover the cost(usually a one-time smoking cessation benefit) and the Dr.s offices usually have promo coupons to cut the cost of the pills. just like any other addiction, you have to be 100% in to quit or a relapse is just around the corner. You have 6 good reasons to quit, and down the road you will have grandchildren you will want to be around for to watch grow up.

I get the dreams to but I must admit I like the dreams. The dreams for me at least are just so realistic its rediculous lol,I won the lotto in the dream and literally woke up thinking i'm rich for a minute. My healthcare covered the pills 100 percent with no copay,I guess because it save them money in the long run.

 

[northcreek]

Voymom,here is a corny little poem that your kids might like,I remembered it from my smoke quitting days....Mike
I will not let smoking conquer me
I will ask what does it do for me?
It makes me stink
It burns my clothes
It makes a chimney out of my nose

 

[Voymom]

I have been doing it cold turkey. It will get easier for me once school starts so I will be REALLY busy, with school, kids, work and being a wifey. Plus Gym time lol I won't have time to even smoke. So far so good. Got rid of all our smoking stuff, lighters, ashtrays, and cleaned the entire house. Cravings are minimal and when I do crave one I work out until the craving is gone, or I start cleaning something lol.

 

[Ace1875]

.......when I do crave one .....I start cleaning something lol.

**parks my TB infront of u and points**

 

[Wex]

I quit smoking in 2001. Dumdum sour apple lollipops helped me at a daily level.