Quit Smoking

[axxeman01]

Tomorrow at 0630 it'll be 72 hours, I'm home free. 24 years of prison now free. What did it for me? Want to set a good example for the kids. The main thing is this; smoking isn't enjoyable, relaxing, or anything else. It's poison, and you are just feeding the demon.

Compare smoking to wearing a pair of shoes that are too tight. By taking them off, you feel 'good', ie normal. By smoking, you feel 'good', ie normal, because the nicotine beast is fed.

/rant off. No need to wish me luck, I'm 100% good to go!!!! Booya!!!

[theloxmyth]

Yep!

Been a while, save for a decent cigar.

[NYC6]

Not to be a downer but, I quit for 2 years one time without one smoke and another time for 1 year. Started up again both times. I kept at it and tried a couple times. On New Years Eve 2005 I stopped and haven't had one since.

Moral of the story- Dont think you got it licked so easy. Its a real hard thing to keep at. Good luck.

[Chipmunk]

Good for you.

[DCgator]

Quit is good.

[paddy_crow]

I quit smoking in 1977 (about 16 months after I bought my first Rolex).

[gmh1013]

I went from a pack and half a day to a cigar a week but I stopped smoking in cigs in 89.... then stopped smoking cigars about 3 years ago at 50.
I think the 21 years of cigars was harder than giving up Marlboro's

[Watchdog]

Best of luck to your continued success.

[Mike B]

Best of luck to you !

My father is a smoker, and has wound up in the hospital, and diagnosed with COPD a few months ago. His oxygen level was so low he could barley walk. He was on oxygen for 4 days, and when he finally went home guess what . . . . he went RIGHT back to smoking, and still smokes to this day.

Now, I know smoking must be one of the hardest things to quit, but if I was to go to the hospital, and almost die because of something, I'd make DAMN sure I'd quit ASAP !!!

Nothing anyone will tell him will make him stop, so he's basically killing himself slowly.

Please quit, and don't become like my father.

Mike

[s.justinlee]

good for you
i hear it is one of hardest thing to do

[dnagwhogas]

Congratulations!

[rr-nyc]

Congrats but don't get too cocky yet. The first 72 hours gets you through the physical addiction... Thats the easy part! Breaking the psychological effects of smoking is the hard part. Just about every meal, cup of coffee, beer, booze, long drives, the smell of smoke can trigger an itch that can send you back to square one.

After several attempts at quitting, I finally accomplished 2 years without smoking but started up again 6 months ago. I hate being a slave to smoking but there are times that I just needed to have one.

[sleddog]

A tough habbit to let go...All the best!

[threemonkeys]

Originally Posted by axxeman01

Tomorrow at 0630 it'll be 72 hours, I'm home free. 24 years of prison now free. What did it for me? Want to set a good example for the kids. The main thing is this; smoking isn't enjoyable, relaxing, or anything else. It's poison, and you are just feeding the demon.

Compare smoking to wearing a pair of shoes that are too tight. By taking them off, you feel 'good', ie normal. By smoking, you feel 'good', ie normal, because the nicotine beast is fed.

/rant off. No need to wish me luck, I'm 100% good to go!!!! Booya!!!

Looks like you've got your house in order, Chris. Maybe your message will insire others to quit.

[PSG1 Nut]

Good for you!

Stay strong and remember not only are you saving your self, you are also saving your kids from the second hand smoke which is questionably worse then what you are inhaling.

[jamesbondOO7]

Well done. Gave up 24 years ago when our son was born.
It gets difficult in my experience after 6 months, 2 years and 10 years. Remember one thing: it is a lot easier to say no to the first one than to the second one, and you'll be fine. If you have kids, you cannot be a smoker.

[ssmui]

Quiting cigarette is easy, I do that all the time

[HL65]

Good for you-- Stick with it!!

[Art 1]

Well done, keep up the good work.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by jamesbondOO7

Well done. Gave up 24 years ago when our son was born.
It gets difficult in my experience after 6 months, 2 years and 10 years. Remember one thing: it is a lot easier to say no to the first one than to the second one, and you'll be fine. If you have kids, you cannot be a smoker.

agree with this....."the urge" NEVER leaves you......i quit cold turkey in march 2003 after having smoked for eight years, but, from time to time, the urge was really tough to ignore. i didn't smoke again until july 2010 (over seven years later). i'm back on the party wagon for the moment, but, i know the fun has to stop sooner or later.

quitting = good, so, to the OP, congrats and best of luck.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

agree with this....."the urge" NEVER leaves you......i quit cold turkey in march 2003 after having smoked for eight years, but, from time to time, the urge was really tough to ignore. i didn't smoke again until july 2010 (over seven years later). i'm back on the party wagon for the moment, but, i know the fun has to stop sooner or later.

quitting = good, so, to the OP, congrats and best of luck.

I quit twice. Returning after the first time was a huge mistake. Continue to fight the urge and I wish you nothing but continued success with your quest to quit smoking.

[Johny]

well done chris. stick with it.

[Oyster1982]

I have never smoked cigarettes, however I smoke 3 cigars per week. My dad stopped smoking cigarettes 4 years ago and my mother is a smokestack to this day. Most of her business problems are solved with a meeting outside the office smoking a cigarette.

[2th Dr]

Huge congrats! It's a difficult thing to conquer, but all you need is the desire to quit. My GF quit cold turkey after she met me. Hasn't touched it since. In fact, she can't stand to even be around it anymore!

[smallcandle]

Good for you! Keep with it and NEVER give into the temptations that are sure to come. I was a pack and a half a day smoker for eight years. I quit cold turkey almost nine years ago and haven't looked back. And like others have suggested, don't get too cocky just yet. Keep telling yourself that you won't smoke TODAY! Do that every single day and you'll be fine.

[axxeman01]

Originally Posted by Mike B

Please quit, and don't become like my father.

Mike

Thanks Mike and all. I know what you mean; my dad had bladder cancer, had his bladder removed, and still smokes Also it's tough to tell your kids not to smoke when you've got one in your mouth.

3 days + now and I'm doing well. I still have some urges; it's not that I want to smoke though, it's that the little nicotine monster inside me is in his death throes and begging for a fix.

So I think right about now I've probably got no nicotine in my system, and in another 3 weeks or so the lil' monster will be taking a dirt nap.

So what have I noticed so far? My sense of smell is *much* better. Driving to work with the window down was an entirely new experience... even passing the pig farm was OK. The only downside so far is some nasal drip, but I think that's just my body healing.

Well, I won't post every day, but I'll drop a note in a month or so!

[Roobarb]

Well done Chris keep it up, does not get easier ! 20 year heavy smoker smoke free 1 year and i still get the urge to have one ! 1 tip when you get the urge just change subject/think of something else for 5 minutes it will go away ! All the best

[speedo]

well done!
i quit 6 years ago after almost 15 years of rather heavy smoking (at least a pack per day) but have not felt the urge of smoking since then.
the recipe was easy: went to a wedding, had way too much alcohol and way too many cigarettes. by the sympthoms i guess i had a light nicotine and alcohol poisoning. have never touched a cigarette since then.
don't try this at home!

[leemozoid]

Congratulations. My last cigaratte was 12-3-1998. You will never regret putting them down. Your lungs will thank you as will your kids when you attend their graduations, weddings and hold your grandchildren!

[Route 66]

I hate to be the devil's advocate but you may not be out of the woods just yet. After smoking for 24 years, you're going to get strong urges for some time to come. I would suggest you arm yourself with nicotine chewing gum and pop one in you mouth when it gets really bad. You can control how fast the nicotine enters your bloodstream by how fast you chew the gum.

I had quit cigarettes several times in the past but always came up with an excuse to have "just one more." Then I got the gum and it saved me. I quit in 1984 and haven't looked back.

Congrats and the best of luck to you!