Archive through November 26, 2002
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Who wants to quit smoking with me? (ARCHIVE):
Archive through November 26, 2002
Sia | Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 03:19 pm     Biloxibelle, I'm so glad you read the thread and posted!! It took real courage for you to come into it, and even more courage to decide that you want to quit smoking. I did smoke for about three years when my children were very young--and in the house!! That's a horrible thing that is difficult for me to admit. I feel like I may have damaged their health, and wish I could undo that portion of their early years--the damage to them that my behavior may have caused. I tried to hide the fact that I smoked from my parents and sister, etc., but everyone knew. The stink that clung to my hair and clothes followed me in a cloud that I really noticed after I QUIT!! When a heavy smoker passes me in the aisle of the grocery store, I can always smell that odor; no amount of perfume or cologne can mask it! When I substituted in elementary schools, I could always tell which students lived with smokers, too, just by unzipping their backpacks at the end of the day to help them put their papers inside. The bags belonging to the children of smokers had that unmistakable telltale stale-ashtray reek, and it made the kids' jackets and other belongings smell bad, too. No one is more rabidly anti-smoking than a former smoker, and I'm one of them. I wouldn't want you to think that I'm judgmental or unkind, but I am honest. I will honestly tell you that I think smoking is dangerous to one's health, unattractive, and unappealing due to the effects it has on the skin, hair, and breath. I applaud the efforts people make to break free of the insidious addiction of smoking tobacco. Good luck!! |
Jagger | Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 02:48 pm     It has been one full week for me of not having a cigarette. Some days have been pretty tough, but for the most part it hasn't been too bad yet. It is amazing how much the patch helped earlier on, and still helps, but I am trying to skip it some days and wear the same one for two days so it will be easier when I totally quit wearing it. |
Wargod | Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 03:13 pm     Awesome job, Jagger!!!!! You are making excellent progress! It does get easier with each passing day, but be prepared, because I was still having the occassional major withdrawl for months after quiting. Usually by that point though, its more of a shock that they can still get that bad more than..."oh, I need a cigarette now!!!" Keep up the good work!! |
Juju2bigdog | Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 04:23 pm     Wonderful news, Jagger. You will get to where you need the patch less and less as you get further and further from the grips of addiction. You could also cut one in half and wear it for one day instead of wearing a whole one for two days. When you get to the stage where the patch is more irritating than it is helpful, it will be time to take it off. You are probably still in the phase where you look at other people and get a bit envious that they still "get" to smoke and you don't. That will pass one of these days. Eventually you will find yourself in the phase where you look at other people and feel kind of sorry for them that they "have" to smoke. Congratulations on your progress. Yay!!! |
Dahli | Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 01:59 pm     Jagger - way to go!!! When you realize how silly it is to be envious of any poor fool, still chained and shackled to something as filthy as tobacco - you will be that much closer to free!!!! |
Sia | Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 09:17 pm     Yay, Jagger!!! I'm so proud of you. You keep at it, okay? I am delighted to hear of your progress! |
Dahli | Friday, November 22, 2002 - 06:23 am     Secondhand Smoke Bad for Kids More proof that parents shouldn't smoke MONDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthScoutNews) -- If you're a parent who smokes, here's another good reason for you to quit the habit: Your secondhand smoke can damage your child's blood vessels. Children subjected to cigarette smoke from one parent had up to 50 percent higher levels of a biological marker of oxidative stress in their blood, says an Austrian study being presented today at the American Heart Association's scientific sessions meeting in Chicago. A growing body of evidence indicates that secondhand smoke breaks down antioxidant defenses, leading to problems with the endothelial-dependent function of arterial walls. Endothelial dysfunction is an early feature of atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. The Austrian researchers measured levels of a biological compound called 8-epi-PGF2alpha in the blood and urine of 158 children, aged 3 to 15. This compound forms when free radicals attack arachidonic acid, a chemical responsible for blood vessel dilation, prevention of blood clots and inflammation reaction. Children exposed to secondhand smoke from less than 20 cigarettes a day from one parent had 35 percent to 50 percent more of the compound in their blood and 20 percent to 30 percent more of the compound in their urine than children not exposed to any parental secondhand smoke. The more exposure to secondhand smoke, the higher the compound levels were in children. If both parents together smoked more than 40 cigarettes a day, the compound levels in children were as much as 130 percent higher in blood and 65 percent higher in urine than in children not exposed to secondhand smoke. The study also found that mothers who smoked had a much greater impact on their children than fathers who smoked. The researchers say that may be because mothers may have closer contact with their children at home. The study authors say these findings are important considering that nearly half of all children in the United States and Western Europe are exposed to secondhand smoke in some way. More information Here's where to find out more about secondhand smoke and children. --Robert Preidt SOURCE: American Heart Association, news release, Nov. 18, 2002 |
Monkeyboy | Saturday, November 23, 2002 - 07:04 pm     woo hoo!!! i am a 6 week long non-smoker!!! woo hoo!!! |
Teatime | Saturday, November 23, 2002 - 08:24 pm     Way to go, Monkeyboy!! Keep hanging in there, guy! |
Jagger | Sunday, November 24, 2002 - 07:53 am     That's great Monkeyboy, is it getting any easier? I've been almost two weeks with out a cigarette, and it seems to be getting worse instead of better. |
Lumbele | Sunday, November 24, 2002 - 02:12 pm     Biloxibelle, welcome to the club! Glad that you have decided to kick the nicotine habit, too. Monkeyboy, congratulations! Hang tough! Jagger, my week wasn't too great either. Had the odd "disallowed" puff. Before that used to be excuse enough to start up again, but so far I keep plucking away. Hang in there, this is the toughest part. They say it will get easier with time and I am counting on it. |
Llkoolaid | Sunday, November 24, 2002 - 07:25 pm     Jagger, hang in there, I hit a hard spot at about 2 weeks, if you go to the archives and read where we all quit you will see that the 4 of us that quit together had a hard time then. It passed and we felt so great after it did. It was like winning a huge battle. Just hang in there, it will get better. I promise. You will find yourself hitting these walls a few times but as time goes by they get further apart and easier to handle. Please trust me, it does get easier and you will get to a point that you rarely think of a cigarette. But and this is a big but, there will always be times when you get the urge for a cigarette, but like I said they get further and further apart the longer you go and they get easier and easier to get over. This may sound silly or dorky but give yourself a little mantra. Mine is " I am a non-smoker and I am proud of myself" I know is sounds nutty but it is postive reinforcement, just a little boost whether you think you need it or not. It has been a year for me and I still say it to myself every once in a while. I have faith in you guys and I hope that this time next year you and Lumbele will be giving encouragement here to some new people who are trying to quit. I got so much help from this thread and it feels good to give back. Wargod quit with me last year and Juju and Dahli were there cheering us on from the start. There are a lot of new people now and I know I have missed some in thanking them for their help and encouraging new quitters. I hope we can keep this thread alive for a long time to come. You guys will know you are well on your way when you start giving advice and encouragement to newcomers and it will feel so good. It is kind of like being on the winning team. |
Lancecrossfire | Sunday, November 24, 2002 - 07:33 pm     Monkeyboy---great job!!!! Congratulations on your fantasic effort. Keep it up--we are rooting for you! Lumbele and Jagger--hang in there and don't give up! Kool has some great advice for you. There is some great words of wisdom from former smokers in the archived posts. There is also a lot of great encouraging words from a lot of different folks. Use that energy to help you out (same for you Monkey--some great reading for those in the process of quitting). Find the tricks that work best for you--avoiding certain situatiosn at certain times, or chewing gum, or whatever you feel works best for you. It might be something different than what works for someone else. |
Juju2bigdog | Sunday, November 24, 2002 - 07:37 pm     Hey, Monkeyboy, good for you! Another closet non-smoker! Cablejockey did that too, quit on her own without telling us until later. Hang in there, Jagger. There will be a number of walls you will have to get over, and yes, sometimes it does get way harder before it gets easier. I would think it would be very interesting to locate and download all of the originals of this thread which are now archived. They go back to about a year ago, and they chronicle the trials and tribulations of the other people who successfully quit. You could see that is it not just you who is having a hard time. These other people went through the very same things, and they eventually came out on the other side as nonsmokers. |
Llkoolaid | Sunday, November 24, 2002 - 07:51 pm     Monkeyboy, I am sorry I missed your post that you have joined our team. I haven't had a lot of time at the computer lately so I just pop in and read the last post or two. Congatulations and keep it up. Believe me when I say If I could quit you can quit. Here are a few helpful tips that I got last year. Keep your hands busy. Drink things that you don't smoke with, I drank a lot of orange juice last year. Brush your teeth a lot, for some reason the fresh taste in my mouth helped me forget about a cigarette. Go for a walk when the urge gets bad, the fresh air helps and you can get rid of stress just by taking a walk. Treat yourself with rewards from the money you saved not buying cigarettes. Try to stay out of social situations where there is going to be smoking. Clean your house to get rid of the cigarette smell Throw out all the ashtrays and lighters and take the ashtrays out of your car. Find out what triggers you wanting a cigarette and then change it or find a replacement for the cigarette. The biggest thing that helped me was Check in here every day at least once and brag about how well you are doing, then receive the praise that you deserve. Good luck , I know you can do it. |
Monkeyboy | Sunday, November 24, 2002 - 08:46 pm     Thanks everyone, jagger-it only gets easier IMO, the first three weeks SUCKED!!!!! i chewed like a bazillion pieces of gum, but it works... LLkoolaid-i also found drinking alot of sweet stuff helped me...well helps me, lol, i drink a lot of koolaide.... Thanks again for your supporteveryone |
Llkoolaid | Monday, November 25, 2002 - 12:09 pm     Koolaid Koolaid taste great |
Wargod | Monday, November 25, 2002 - 12:31 pm     The first few weeks are really tough...BUT, it does get easier as time goes by. Don't be suprised if months down the road, you get hit with a strong craving. I think one of the best things to help me was chewing sun flower seeds...I chewed them til my lips were chapped and bleeding, LOL..but it did keep me from smoking. There wasn't anything easy about it, but the thought of not having to go outside to smoke when it was freezing cold and snowing was a big help to me! You guys are doing great....keep up the great work, and if you are sitting there and get a craving, give me a holler...I'm here off and on all day, so if ya just want to keep busy and chit chat, I'm available! |
Jagger | Monday, November 25, 2002 - 01:15 pm     Thanks for all the encouragement everyone, this weekend was by far the hardest, I even went as far as to ask the cashier at the gas station for a pack of cigarettes, then when he got back to the register I told him no, he just looked at me. I don't know if it was just reflex for me to say that or what. I pumped my gas, went in to pay for it and instintively said give me a pack of Marlboro Lights 100 Box. I know if I would have actually gotten out of the place with them I would have smoked them like there was no tomorrow. Luckily my roommate has been keeping his hidden or at least out of plain sight, he's now telling me he is going to quit on December 2, could be a rather stressfull few mounths around my house. I really do hope it gets easier soon, my nerves have really been on edge for about the last 5 days, ended up leaving work early last Friday I just couldn't be around anyone else, too short tempered, yelled at 2 co-workers ( not that they didn't deserve it, but I could have done it more professionally). Short week this week but than we have a long holiday, luckily I'm not going anywhere so I should be OK. btw this post may not make much sence, my brain is racing a million mph right now, I just can't seem to concentrate on anything for more than 30 seconds. |
Lancecrossfire | Monday, November 25, 2002 - 01:21 pm     Jagger, way to go!!! Great job at the gas station!! And be sure to come here to unload and vent if you need to blow off some steam. And three is no shame in asking for support or words of encouragement, if you need more. |
Lumbele | Monday, November 25, 2002 - 04:52 pm     Yeah, Jagger! Nice going changing your "order". Habit and reflex! What nasty things!LOL But this incident prooves your resistance, so be proud of yourself and hang tough. BTW, how did Kojak do it with those lollipops? My tongue is raw from all the candy I have been sucking on. |
Llkoolaid | Tuesday, November 26, 2002 - 08:04 am     Hang in there Jagger, you are going through your biggest test and by the sound of it you are acing it. Just saying no was a huge step and you can do it. Don't worry about rambling and venting, we understand it very well. How about marking your smokefree days of on a calendar. It is encouraging to actually see your progress. |
Jagger | Tuesday, November 26, 2002 - 04:36 pm     Lumbele I love your comments about the lollipops, I got to the point I couldn't eat anymore candy. I don't know what was worse the sore mouth or the sugar high. I found it is really hard breaking the old habits of automatically asking for a pack of smokes, I've done that 3 times now, the person in the grocery store thought I was buying them for some kids in line behind me. When I told the lady I didn't want them because I don't smoke she asked if I was buying for the kid behind me. I just looked at her as if she was the one that was loosing it instead of me. It definitly isn't getting easier, and the long weekend will be a real test, especially if my roommate is home all weekend. Lumbele how is your non smoking going? Are you cold turkeying it or using some type of help like the patch. I tried to eliminate the patch last week, as I said Friday was a bad day and I went until Sunday without the patch but I needed to put it back on before I went to work on Monday. Again I'd like to say thanks to everyone who's posted on this thread, you wouldn't beleive how much all the possitive vibes have helped make it easier. It's great to be able to come here and read about what others are going through and have gone through. |
Lumbele | Tuesday, November 26, 2002 - 05:10 pm     Hey, Jagger, my doctor and I decided slow but sure would be the way to go this time. So I am still puffing about 6-8 (depending on when I fall asleep. ) At the moment I am on Zyban, only 1 because of the side effects. Since I seem to be hitting a brick wall and been cheating a bit, I am now adding 1/2 Zyban in the afternoon. But if the side effects play havoc with my life again, I'll have to figure out something else, perhaps patches. BTW, *sugarless* candy is just as bad.LOL Thank you all for continuing to support us newbies to the thread. It has often helped to hold out a little longer and a little more. For me that's "Progress" (note the capital "P" LOL). |
Jagger | Tuesday, November 26, 2002 - 06:19 pm     Lumbele 6 or 8 isn't bad, it's better than a pack. I had no luck with the Zyban, it had no effect what so ever, except I couldn't sleep. No help with the smoking though. I know several people at work that have tried Zyban and it worked great for them, I guess it all depends on how your body reacts to it. I started on the patch when I was down to about 4 to 6 cigarettes a day. I know you aren't suppose to smoke when using the patch, but I did anyway. There is no way I could do this without the patch, now I need to weine myself from that, but I am down to just a half of a full strengh patch right now. I just cut them in half and that way they last two days. Hang in there your doing great Lumbele, just keep cutting them down one by one. I loved your comment about the sugarfree candy, just as bad as the full strengh candy. |
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