The Zim Family Cocker Spaniel Forum

Hello forum friends,
Today is the day I chose as my quit date to stop smoking. My last cigarette was at 10:00pm CST Tuesday night.
I have been a smoker for more years than I even care to see in print!
If you all have a moment to offer a prayer of strength and willpower for me I could sure use it.
The power of this forum has proven to be so strong and I can use all the strength I can get to make it through this.
If any of you have ever quit smoking I would appreciate any advice that you have to offer.
The stop smoking program that I am using tells us to get as many supportive people on our side that we can and since
this is the biggest group of supportive people I've ever seen I thought I had better ask here.

I appreciate your kindness while I give up this nasty, addictive habit for the very last time!
Thanks ever so much,
Vicki

You have all my prayers!!!! I think that's awesome.

I just started taking Chantix yesterday because I'm so tired of this habit. It's horrible. I think it's great you're doing it cold turkey too! Congratulations! Keep reaching out for support too. It makes your chance of success that much better.

Thank you Dawn and good for you!!!
You have my prayers as well.
Not quite cold turkey, I am using the patches.
And sugar free gum, hard candy, twizzlers, chewing on straws, and pacing around the office with nervous energy.
I also am going to gnaw on some celery sticks and carrot sticks here for lunch.
Best of luck to you on your quitting as well.
I almost didn't post this because it is such a nasty habit that I felt ashamed to ask for support here.
Glad to see I'm not alone in this.
Let me know if I can be of any assistance to you while we conquer this!!!!
All my best to you,
Vicki

P.S. What are we going to do with all that money we save?

July 18, 2010 just a little shy of 4 months; I had my last cigarette. I have smoked for 31 years. Two weeks after that my husband who smoked for nearly as long also quit smoking. We both took Chantix. We only bought one prescription. And we each only took it for approximately 2 weeks. We both had some of the side effects.

I am so glad I quit. I wont say there are not times that it is still not difficult. But not so much any more. Only when I am stressed or things in my life are going wrong that I start to say..."Oh what would it hurt" But I know what it would hurt.

Since Rory and I quit smoking we refinanced our house that we bought last July. We went from a 30 year loan to a 12 year loan. Yes....WE SAVED THAT MUCH!!!!!!!

I am here to support both of you. And to get support for myself.

You both can do it......It is difficult but SO WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG, I need a cigarette just reading this...

Smoking is an addiction to the nicotine and the habit of putting the cigarette too your lips. Buy a box of straws, treat them like a cigarette without lighting them of course. Soon the nicotine addiction will be gone, then you can focus on the hand to mouth issue.

All best to you...

I smoked my last cigarette in March (believe it or not I don't have the exact date). I love being a non smoker. My advice to all is IGNORE the urge to light up. Avoid the situations that cause the urge. Eventually, like me, you won't even want to smell it again. I can't believe how awful it smells on people. As a smoker you don't smell it like you do as a non-smoker. I have become what I never wanted to be...an ex-smoker bitch, I HATE smelling it on people and in places!!

I did use Chantix. It WORKS, but does have some side effects. I figured a couple months of drugs would not be as harmful as more years of smoking.

I wish the best to all of you going through this. Its not easy. I still get the urge. There are times when a cigarette just seems right KWIM?

I'm putting any money I save, which should be alot at a pack a day, towards my down payment for my house!

I'm glad you posted today! Its nice to know others that are going through the same thing. My leg just vibrates a mile a minute...

I quit at the end of september begining of October I had smoked for years until I had kids then a few years later became a social smoker, when we moved into the house I found myself smoking more n more still not as much as most people a pack will last me a week, but still smoking. This week I was feeling a little pissy and went out and bought a pack after 5 wks no smokes and not really missing it, worst mistake ever especially when your bored and at home Plus its getting too cold to go outside and light up. (I never smoke in the house) so back to square one start date tomorrow. Good luck I wish you all the best. It is definetly not easy.

Sending prayers your way. Just think of how much you'll save, how much better everything will smell but most of all how much healthier you and those around you will be as a result.

I've never smoked but everyone in my family has died of lung cancer so I'm very susceptible to smoke and will support anyone who wants to quit.

Take up walking! I quit smoking a very long time ago - cold turkey. There were no patches or anything like that then. I started walking, then running, and believe me, I could feel the effects of smoking when I did that. So it reinforced my desire to get healthier just because I could FEEL how bad it was for me. Plus, it will counteract the effects of all of the munchies that taste so good (now that you can actually taste them).

I'm proud of you and know you can do it. One day at a time.

Congratulations to all you quiters. Seriously, the best thing you can do for yourselves.
I quit 22 years ago (December 2), cold turkey. My biggest hurdle was to stop reaching for the ash tray. I don't miss the burn hole in my clothes and furniture. Nothing like driving the road and dropping a cigarrett in your lap.

Advice: If you have no other smokers in the house, get rid of all of your ash trays and lighters and, of course, every last cigarrett and butt. If guests want to smoke, they can go outside.
Wash all of your clothing and linens, air out your coats and comforters (may also require cleaning). I got such a sensative sence of smell after I quit that I cannot tolerate the smell of smoke. You may find you need to clean rugs/carpets and wash/paint walls to get rid of the smell. Being a smoker, you won't probably realize the smell.

Give yourself 30 days and the "habit" will be broken. Find something that will distract you if you feel tempted. Put a rubberband around your wrist and give it a good snap or something when you have the urge to smoke.

Good luck all. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

There is no such thing as quitting. You are either a smoker or you aren't. When I decided to quit I picked a day, told myself I was a non smoker (often) and never had another one. I did get fat, really fat, but I don't smoke.

It wasn't enough to watch my dad die from lung cancer, nor was it enough to watch my mom suffer and die from COPD, but it was enough watching my ex dying from esophegeal cancer. I was going to the VA to visit him in the Hospice Center every day and going outside with him while he smoked. One night I was sick with a chest cold and it hit me hard===this is how my mom felt for years! And then thinking of Bill and his cancer, I just knew it was time for me to stop smoking. I prayed for God to remove the cravings from me (thank you to all the 12 Step friends who taught me that). Tried smoking 3 more cigs over the next few days but put each of them out after 1-2 puffs because they tasted so nasty. I was done----thank you Jesus!!!! As each day passed, I felt better and before long, the calendar pages passed by! It's been 2-1/2 years since that Valentine's Day and while there have been times I really wanted a cig, I knew those feelings would pass soon. I keep little peppermint candies in my purse to suck on while I drive----I quickly realized there were certain times or situations that were triggers for my old habit. I liked smoking so when this happened, it shocked me and I was amazed that all of a sudden I wanted to quit smoking-----and even more amazed that I did quit!!! I'm telling you----"It's a God thing!!!" Good luck to you and don't give up!!! ps--you know I am older than dirt and smoked since I was in high school.

Thank you so much for all of your kind words and prayers. They have sure been felt.
I am 50 minutes from 72 hours of no smoking.
I hope the others that are just quitting are have success as well.
I won't lie and say it has been easy. Today I rolled up a piece of paper towel and stuck inside a straw to create a filter. It made the straw feel a little more like a real cigarette and was helpful when the urge was really strong. All of my coworkers know I am quitting so they are walking on eggshells around me.
My straw is red so I think they see that as a signal to just stay away when I am having my "non" smoke break.
All my ashtrays have been washed and put away. They will be going in the donation truck that comes around every couple of months for items for their resale store. I will be spending the weekend cleaning house and probably put up my Christmas decorations as the next few weekends will be very busy for me. Also, I have to work the graveyard shift at my job this coming week and it is pretty creepy to go outside and smoke when your pretty much the only person in and industrial park area.
So thanks again for your support, prayers and kind thoughts. Also, thanks for sharing your stories with me. I gather strenght from each of them.
My prayers, support and kind thoughts are being said for each of you as well.

Good work, may it get easier as the days go by and may some day you realize that it has been years and you never looked back.

Thanks Rosie.
Yes Ma'am. I am 30 minutes away from 4 days since I have smoked. As bad as it is, I have always smoked in my house so today was a bit rough being home all day and not smoking. Since I have packed all the ashtrays away I think the triggers have been reduced some but every now and then today I would find myself reaching for my cigarettes but they weren't there (Thank the Lord!).
I have some sunflower seeds handy as well as some hard candy so that gives me something to do.
Then around 3:00pm I realized I hadn't put my patch on today. It really helped after I did that. The patches do give you some weird dreams sometimes. I haven't dreamed that I have smoked yet but I will bear that in mind if that dream comes.
I did some cleaning today but didn't get my tree up yet. I work from home every Saturday and today it seems like my work took forever to get done. Also, I have to work at the office tomorrow but I will be really busy so that gives me several hours to have my brain somewhere else.
It seems the busier I stay the less I focus on smoking. I still won't say it is being easy but I do think it is getting easier.
I refuse to ever have to go through this again so that I think is being my biggest motivator along with the support of the wonderful people here on the forum.
My husband, friends and co-workers are all being very supportive as well.
Thanks for your kind words and best of luck to the other forum members that are going through this challenging time as well.
Vicki

Good job Vicki! It does get easier but I gotta tell you. Even after 2 years there are still times... The urge comes from nowhere. I don't know if the urge ever completely goes away.

I had an aunt who quit and told me, "as soon as the Dr. says your terminal I'm smoking again". It didn't happen, she died two weeks ago of a heart attack. She was way too young to die so I gotta wonder how much longer she would have lived if she had never smoked.

I am wishing you all lots of luck and the biggest YOU CAN DO IT I have got !!!!
I did this...and I am sooooooo glad. I used to start coughing when I would laugh..and I laugh alot..sooooo ...it was not fun....I smoked over 2 packs a day...so it was rough but I did it.. over 15 years...
what I couldn't get over was the smells of things....wow....what a change...and I must have been a smell sensation...perfume and cigarettes....YUCK...
Anyway lots of luck and many many prayers for you.
Marsha

I just wanted to give a shout out of support to all of you who are putting in the effort to quit the addiction to smoking! My dad quit way back when I was in high school. The story was that it was something my older sister said to him and to this day that secret's between he and she. It must have been something pretty powerful and I don't know what it was but whatever she said must have been from her heart to his.