I quit!

I've claimed that I will quit... and even did quit a few times, but now it's for good.

I am sick and tired of being a slave to this thing that just kicks my butt and shortens my life.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers - cast a spell or do whatever it is that you do for those that you want to help...

I quit. I'm done.

Friday, 5/18/2012 will be the last day that I smoke cigarettes.

Can y'all help me out by posting a reply of encouragement?

Thank you.

I hereby ask fhe great white father in the forest of creation to grant you cessation from smoking cigarettes on Friday the 18th; I promise to walk backwards around my teepee for the next three risings of the moon to grant you the power to carry out your wishes.

LET IT BE DONE

Rick I'm with you on this . Stick with it no matter how tough it gets .

Immediate and Long-Term Effects of Quitting Smoking - Smoking Cessation Center - EverydayHealth.com (http://www.everydayhealth.com/smoking-cessation/immediate-and-long-term-benefits.aspx)

Come on you old fart its easy.
I kicked the evil weed after neigh 20 years of abuse ;)
It CAN be done, but you need to find something to focus on
That and some damn good drugs ;)

I used a combination of patches and gum/mints, but 8 weeks later and I was smoke free, FINALLY..

That was over a year ago now and I must say I.m very glad that I did..

Go for it, I've been free for forty years, everyday is a day you don't smoke, don't buy a packet of cirgarettes, you are now a non-smoker, you don't smoke, all the best

Our beloved DrBill and Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper on Big Bang Theory) have a few ideas for you.

Here's Jim's -- Jim Parsons Tells David Letterman How He Kicked the Habit | XFINITY TV Blog by Comcast (http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv/2012/05/09/jim-parsons-david-letterman-smoking-quit-big-bang/)

I may be no help as I am a smoker too. I've tried many things to quit even hypnotism.
Patches made me sick, welbutrin made me a zombie.
When (not if) you succeed, post back and let me know what you did.
I know I will feel better, look better, smell better, but I lack the willpower to not buy another pack.
Maybe you could prod me a little with your success.

As a kid I saw my mom decide she was not going to smoke anymore. On that day she just stopped . I did basically the same thing when I decided to put childish ways behind me((1 Corinthians 13:11) and end my prolific use of recreational drugs.

I'm not saying it is that easy by any means. I have seen people battle addiction all my life . It can be a monumental challenge and any support and encouragement goes a long way . I pray the transition for you is as easy as my moms.

Yes, smoke free is best... no more smelly clothes... no more yellow walls... no more yellow dribbles down the bathroom walls that the spouse has to clean off periodically.

We applaud your resolution rick... just go for it...

Just take up drinking. Kidding, sort of. ;)

I wish you the best of luck. If you figure out how to do it, let me in on the secret.

Take up a sport that requires some cardiovascular fitness... watch how much better your lungs can handle that sport after quitting - you won't believe the difference.

Sunflower seeds. You can do this, Rick..

Thank you all, for your encouragement. I KNOW I can do it. I've done it before, but it was just stupidity that I got back into it.

I recognize that I am a smokeaholic, so I can't even take one puff after I quit this time.

Today I'm going to smoke until I feel like puking, so that my last memory of smoking is an unpleasant one.

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Today I'm going to smoke until I feel like puking
Coating your lungs with thick black tar can't be a good solution any way you look at it.

Nothing more exciting in life than lighting that smoke while using a O2 tank to help you breath.
Nothing more sexy than yellow teeth that smell like smoke.

Look at all you are losing

Thanks again for the encouraging comments. Really. Reminders of the horrid outcome to smokers is definitely encouraging.

I've been spending the week "gearing up" for this. I've got a full weekend planned for fun stuff in non-smoking environments... and will be chugging water to help speed along the cleaning of my system.

... might chug a beer or three also :)

I agree with karma about that smoking until you puke plan for today, not being the best of ideas.
The sooner you quit the sooner you start racking up hours since last smoke.
By going so public with this plan, you have a lot of people watching and rooting (in their own ways) for you now. We know that you wouldn't let us down. How much money will you be saving? Keep us posted.

I could always post those pictures the Obama administration wants to put on cigarette packs if that'll help.

Today I'm going to smoke until I feel like puking, so that my last memory of smoking is an unpleasant one.Hello Rick:

That's how I quit. I went to Shick, and endured 10 days of sheer misery. But, I stopped.

Shick is out of biz, but there's NO reason why you can't set up your own "shick". The first day, they put you in a stinky room with an overflowing ashtray. You smoke three cigarettes back to back as fast as you can. They get hotboxed real fast, and by the time you're half way through the first one you want to puke. It's burning your mouth. It's burning your fingers.. Oh, yeah.. When you reach for the cigarette, you get a mild shock. When you put in your mouth, a mild shock. When you exhale, a mild shock..

You can't smoke in between visits and you go for 10 days. Now, I know you don't have the shocker, but maybe you can ask your wife to whack you on the head.

I HOPE you do it, no matter HOW. You're my friend, and I HATE to see you poisoning yourself. My dad died at 51. That's damn near 20 years of life that I've had, that tobacco robbed him of.

excon

Hello Rick:

That's how I quit. I went to Shick, and endured 10 days of sheer misery. But, I stopped.

Shick is outta biz, but there's NO reason why you can't set up your own "shick". The first day, they put you in a stinky room with an overflowing ashtray. You smoke three cigarettes back to back as fast as you can. They get hotboxed real fast, and by the time you're half way through the first one you wanna puke. It's burning your mouth. It's burning your fingers.. Oh, yeah.. When you reach for the cigarette, you get a mild shock. When you put in your mouth, a mild shock. When you exhale, a mild shock..

You can't smoke in between visits and you go for 10 days. Now, I know you don't have the shocker, but maybe you can ask your wife to whack you on the head.

I HOPE you do it, no matter HOW. You're my friend, and I HATE to see you poisoning yourself. My dad died at 51. That's damn near 20 years of life that I've had, that tobacco robbed him of.

excon

I am doing something similar. My car ashtray is a pop bottle half filled with water because I've always hated throwing butts out the window. Since I made this quit date, I've been unscrewing the cap and taking a big whiff of what's in that bottle.

I am quitting today so as to not put my family and friends through grief that I could have avoided. I just had a full physical on Tuesday, including a chest x-ray. Despite that I've smoked for 30 years, all was good... I plan to KEEP it that way.

I plan to KEEP it that way.Hello again, Rick:

Your body will completely replace your lungs in about 7 years (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_your_lungs_regenerate_after_you_stop_smoking).

excon

Hello, I'm Rick. I'm a smokaholic. My last took was about 8pm on Friday the 18th.

It's been difficult, but I've hung in there. Saturday was one of the longest days of my life, yesterday was pretty good. Today is the worst since I am at at my office, which is where I used to do most of my smoking.

I'm just taking it one hour at a time. I figure that I've made it about 62 hours, so I'm pretty sure that I can make it for 63.

I'm thankful for everyone who has encouraged me, prayed for me and thought good wishes for me

That's more than a third of a week already and by next Monday you will be telling us how many weeks you have under your belt.
We're still here for you.

4.5 days now. It's crazy to me that when I have cravings they are stronger than they were yesterday...

... but thankfully, the cravings are coming further and further apart.

The little devil on my left shoulder says "Go ahead and have a smoke. One cigarette wouldn't hurt. Heck, you could probably just smoke a couple cigarettes a day and be fine with that..."

But I have the strength (thanks, I'm not ashamed to admit, to the Holy Spirit) to recognize that it's just bunk. I have not stopped smoking for this long in many many years. I KNOW it's a nasty and harmful habit that's not much better than russian roulette.

I never want to go through what I've gone through in the past few days, so I'll just stick with it knowing that it will get better.

AND...

I'm seeing benefits already. My mind is blown at how much my senses of smell and taste have increased.

Hey Rick here's some more incentive for you new research shows that kids who are around smokers are affected by it, it narrows the artries so do it for your kids and grandkids..

The sooner we legislate this filthy habit out of existence the better

research shows that kids who are around smokers are affected by it, it narrows the artries so do it for your kids and grandkids..

If you are talking about secondhand smoke, I agree... even though it does not apply in my case since I've never smoked in my house or around my kids.



The sooner we legislate this filthy habit out of existence the better

I do not agree. I am fine with calling smoking cigarettes a "filthy" habit, but we shouldn't make something that some call "filthy" illegal.. . And certainly it is unhealthy to smoke cigarettes frequently... but if we make cigarettes illegal, then what's to stop big brother from making double cheeseburgers with bacon, or the internal combustion engine illegal?

Where would it all stop?

Recent experience: I don't smoke much, usually only when I drink (which isn't as often as it used to be). Last weekend I was away with my daughter at a large sports competition ahe is involved in. All the parents were staying at the same hotel and we had a busy schedule. We did get together and have some wine in the evenings and that's when I'd usually have a couple of smokes.. but I didn't because the kids were around. Well I went on 6 am cycles each morning an woke up with zero handover and my lungs were in awesome shape for 25 km rides each morning. Had I smoked I would have had a wicked hangover and I'd need my puffer on the ride.

If you are talking about secondhand smoke, I agree... even though it does not apply in my case since I've never smoked in my house or around my kids.
Some years ago, I welcomed a new library coworker and began training her on our particular cataloging database. Sometime during the morning, I asked her if she wanted to take a smoke break. "How do you know I smoke?" she asked, greatly surprised. "I don't smoke much, only in my car or outside." I could smell it on her breath as she talked, on her clothes and leather handbag, in her hair as she moved her head. Every time she shifted in the chair next to me I caught a whiff of cigarette odor. So, just because you don't smoke around your kids or in your house doesn't mean people aren't unaffected by or unaware of your smoking. I do give you a standing ovation for quitting.

The smell is definitely easy to pick up. And the first time or two I tried to quit I would sneak a smoke in the men's room at work and then I had to wash my hands and face to get rid of the smell which I knew that non-smokers (who knew I had "quit") would detect and wave the smoke away in case someone came in as I was leaving and would suspect that I had been in there smoking. It gets way to complicated in most settings to get away with it so it is just another good drawback that helps you quit. You have 3/4th of a week in now. You will soon be talking about how long it has been in weeks.
It will get better.

If you are talking about secondhand smoke, I agree... even though it does not apply in my case since I've never smoked in my house or around my kids.



I do not agree. I am fine with calling smoking cigarettes a "filthy" habit, but we shouldn't make something that some call "filthy" illegal. ... And certainly it is unhealthy to smoke cigarettes frequently... but if we make cigarettes illegal, then what's to stop big brother from making double cheeseburgers with bacon, or the internal combustion engine illegal?

Where would it all stop?

Let's not get carried away here, we have clean air legislation to lower pollution from motor vehicles and why can't we have legislation which lowers the possibility of clogged artries?
Not everything marketteers think up is good for us and that goes for cigarettes too.You want a double cheeseburger, buy two, you see it probably would never occur to you to do so. We have anti drug legislation and nicotene should be added to the list along with alcohol. Why should we be beholden to vested interests selling products which have bad health and social outcomes simply because goverments find it easier to tax the product rather than ban it. Why shouldn't there be minimum standards for how much salt, sugar and fat can be added to a product?

I can say smoking is a filthy habit because I used to smoke and I know the consequences from ash messing up my clothing to burned furnishings and stained teeth and fingers. I no longer have dragon breath. I support your efforts to be free but don't minimise the harm it does. 40 years on and I still don't have full lung capacity back. I was hooked early and I suffer the consequences today

Thank you all for the encouragement and comments. I'm at a weird place right now. Bittersweet. Loving it and hating it.

I'm proud and excited that I will hit the One Week Clean mark in just a few hours. 1989 was the last time that I quit for more than one week.

The "hating it" part is stronger than I thought it would be at this point. I thought that after 3 days it would be easy.

I keep reminding myself that the short periods of temptation can be overcome with clove, cinnamon or peppermint gum...

... and that my wife and kids will forgive my short temper knowing that it's all for the good...

... I'm a bit jealous of NK's post where he says he smokes occasionally. That is what is killing me. The addict in me says "You can smoke just one today, no harm done".

That will never work for me. I've lasted a week now, so I will last forever. My strength is in the knowledge of my weakness. If I take a puff today, I'll be buying a pack tomorrow.

Nevermore!

I give YOU, my fellow members, much of the credit for my success. It has been very helpful to see/read the feedback from you all.

Thank you; Sincerely.

Hello again, Rick:

Good for you... You know, making a public proclamation that you're quitting is big too - really big..

excon

I have only just found this but well done on your decision Rick and for sticking to it!

I quit for a few months a while back and plan to quit again soon, this time for good as well! You will feel so much better for it health wise, my energy levels skyrocketed last time I kicked the habit.

I've quit counting the hours. Doing so made the hours go by too slowly.

I'm on day 12.

Interesting things are happening.

1. My sense of smell is getting more sensitive. I realize that my car and my office STINKS!. and I can smell a cigar or cigarette from a mile away.

2. Taste buds are getting more sensitive too: My favorite foods taste MUCH better now.

3. I've always had bizarre and lengthy dreams... but now they are even more bizarre and lengthy.

4. My cravings are getting further and further apart... but when they come, they are stronger than they were the previous day. I'm chewing a lot of peppermint and cinnamon gum (yes, sugar free).

5. My wife is liking snuggling more. She says that I smell good. I didn't realize that spraying cologne and eating gum does not really cover up the smell to non-smokers. I'm SO embarrassed for all the times that I went to my parents, went to church, got in bed, etc... thinking that I had covered up the smell.

I thank you all for thinking of me and posting here. Your comments, thoughts and prayers have been a significant help.

Good on you Rick, you're getting there.
The third week is a bit of a sod as you have a mini reprise, but you're on the right path..

Excellent, keep it up, your body is loving you.

Excellent, keep it up, your body is loving you.

Yeah. I am feeling virile, vigorous and potent! http://www.lunarforums.com/Smileys/default/banana.gif

Excellent, keep it up, your body is loving you.

Yeah. I am feeling virile, vigorous and potent! http://www.lunarforums.com/Smileys/default/banana.gif

When the wife lets you ;)

Don't forget you also need a target to aim for, something tangible.

Yeah. I am feeling virile, vigorous and potent! http://www.lunarforums.com/Smileys/default/banana.gif
Does this mean we will be hosting a baby shower for your wife in a few months?

When the wife lets you ;)

Don't forget you also need a target to aim for, something tangible.

Agreed, that's why something cardiovascular done with regularity is what works for me.

Does this mean we will be hosting a baby shower for your wife in a few months?

NO!

I have 6 already... and have successfully coaxed 2 of them into living somewhere else. Next on the list is the one who will be a High School Senior next year: Trying to convince her to join a convent.

... then just 3 more to go before I leave the grid. Before I go, though, I'll tell the kids:

"If you need anything, feel free to call.... your Grandmother"

Does this mean we will be hosting a baby shower for your wife in a few months?

No.
6 is enough for now :)

Thank you, all of you, for your supportive comments.

26 days now. I'm remembering how I felt when I had been married for 26 days.

As of today I've been married 8278 days. I'm looking forward to when I can say that I have not smoked a cigarette for 8278 days.

Interesting that I've also, by "accident", also cut down on the diet sodas that I drink per day. I've not tried to cut down, but have found that when I'm not smoking, I don't crave the drinking pop... so I've cut my diet pops per day to half of what I was drinking... which put me through a headache trend for a week, but no problems now.

Finding that I'm craving fruits and veggies more too...

Aspertame/sucralose is the devil.