One Week Anniversary Today

[HOrnbrod]

I've been hesitant to write anything about this but I feel like I'm over the hump now since I passed a week w/o cigarettes this morning. I've been smoking at least two packs daily for over 55 years and last week was the first week I've been cigarette-free in many many decades. I quit cold-turkey w/o pills, shots, patches, or any other crutches. Days four and five were the worst, real biotches physically. It started getting a bit easier after they passed, and I think I got this crap licked permanently now. Our local family doctor, who's actually a family friend too, has been after me for what seems like 100 years to quit. He has sent me to a couple of pulmonary specialists for tests, and luckily they have found no permanent lung damage. I can notice a hell of a difference already in breathing capability.

 

If any of you guys or gals are still smoking, fix it before it's too late. The longer you go on the more difficult it will be to stop. Your lungs, and your family, will thank you. 

[a bum with money]

good job hornrod! I quit 3  yrs ago (I'm 61)and your right about the first week or two, its rough. as you go forward the temptations will be many at first then subside over time. I still have moments but they pass quickly. I will say this, if you slip up and have a smoke don't beat yourself up about it, just restart the process again. it will get easier as time goes by and then you'll find yourself not thinking about any more. after a month or so it becomes a psychological game, just tell yourself no. having feeling better already is good incentive to start.  

 

bryce

 

 

[NHMJXJ]

36 minutes ago, HOrnbrod said:

If any of you guys or gals are still smoking, fix it before it's too late. The longer you go on the more difficult it will be to stop. Your lungs, and your family, will thank you. 

 

Words of wisdom. 

 

Stay with it Don … you can do it.  The difference between smoking and not smoking, is not lighting up.    

 

I too was a heavy smoker for decades.  Many unsuccessful attempts to quit.  A positive diagnosis for bladder cancer 9 years ago was a motivator. 

Lots of nasty BCG treatments before undergoing total cystectomy with reconstruction for neobladder.  It's as bad as it sounds.   

 

Quit … YESTERDAY.  Or sooner.   

[Gjeep]

Congrats Don-- I quit about 2 years ago. Was 2+ packs a day. Quit cold-turkey as well. 

[johnj92131]

Don,

 

Congratulations! Heck of a step.

 

JJ

[Pete M]

woo hoo!!!   

[Strokermjcomanche]

Keep it up Don !! Your mind is going to tell you it wants more cigarettes ,but your body is thanking you for quitting. Be prepared for weight gain , doing anything for that ? 

[GreasemonkeySC]

Good job!
Keep it up. I know it's not easy.
I started smoking at 13, and quit at 34. If I can do it after 21yrs, anyone can. Just don't give up, and if you stumble, just don't fall.

I smoked my last cigarette, and grabbed a vape pen with the same nicotine level. I reduced the nicotine in my vape every month for one year. I still used the vape daily with no nicotine for another 2 months. My vape is still charged up sitting on my desk with no nicotine, just flavored juice. I hit it up any time I feel the urge!

Good luck!

[rokinn]

Congratulations Don!  I quit around 1982 or somewhere thereabouts (pack a day for 13 years, part of the "smoke em if ya got em" indoctrination).  The trick for me (once I made up my mind I was going to quit) was never allowing myself positive thoughts about it.  As soon as I noticed myself thinking this or that about desiring, needing, how good one would be with a beer now, or an after dinner smoke I would immediately cut it off.  I would then replace the thought with a negative body sensation and how it would feel if I indeed did have another one, which I did a few times until I finally had it beat all together.  I was a runner at the time and the times I did relapse the next time I went running my lungs would hurt like hell.  That was the negative feedback memory I used until I no longer had any desire at all.  The thought of having a cigarette even now and that sensation of my lungs hurting immediately comes back into memory.   Just a strategy I used that worked for me. 

 

Costco has a liquid supplement called Ubiquinol.  A more absorbable (for us older folks) form of CoQ10 which is a cellular enzyme which helps in the repair and health of the circulatory system.  An MD once told a friend of mine who was taking statins for genetic heart disease and was also a former smoker that he should take as much Ubiquinol as he could afford. 

 

 

[Griff04]

I’ll be quit 1 year in September. In mid-2017 I noticed a lump/growth came up in the area of my neck and throat. Wound up doing a biopsy on it and having it removed, results came back negative, turned out to be some type of fatty tissue but it scared the hell out me. Put them down the day of the surgery and haven’t wanted one since. 

 

Hang in there man, you can do it. 

[MiamiMJ]

Congrats!

[HOrnbrod]

Wow, I had no idea there were so many fools like me who smoked.    Growing up in the 60s people would think there was something wrong with you if you didn't smoke. The Marlboro Man was a national hero and all that. Many thanks gentlemen for the great advice how you personally have dealt with this and for all the kind words. Adam, you asked about weight gain. That's the least of my concerns my friend; I could definitely use a few pounds more. Someone mentioned beer and cigarettes. Very true, it's just like bacon and eggs; can't have one w/o the other. I love my beer, and that's when it's been most difficult to not smoke. I guess I'm lucky that smoking for all these years hasn't screwed me up any worse than it has. I do have a mild form of COPD and have been using an inhaler for awhile now that really helps. Even after a week w/o smoking I can now trot to the end of the driveway and back getting the mail w/o getting too gassed. Ah well, I knew going in this wasn't going to be easy...

 

Again - many thanks guys. 

[Jeep Driver]

I'm an alcoholic, more than 19 years sober now. 

 

Quitting drinking was a matter of life or death. 

 

I still smoke. When I quit smoking it will be the same as you, I'll just be done with it. 

 

All addictions will kill you, some just take longer than others. Tobacco is the most addictive drug that exists. 

 

Congratulations.

[SVPete]

I quit for good, cold turkey, five years ago, July 20th. Had many unsuccessful attempts, which were for the wrong reasons...others. If you are doing it for yourself, you will be successful. To echo some of the others:

1. Stay away from the first one. One leads to two, to buying a pack within a week. No celebrations, like...it's been two months...just one won't hurt (I failed once due to that).

2. No BEER or other alcohol. It stimulates the urge the smoke. My mouth would actually water for a smoke. After four years, I could drink a beer without the urge.

3. Cut back on coffee too. A smoke went reeeeeally well with the morning coffee break.

4. You will gain some weight.

5. Don't fall into a trap of substituting another bad habit such as vaping. Be done with anything else other than air.

6. You will be easily irritable. Significant others should know this and accept it for a while without patronizing. We know in a minute we were a jerk and why.

 

But you know all that.

 

7. Always remember number 1!

 

[Knucklehead97]

My mom quit after my pops passed away 5 years ago. She also did it cold turkey without any patches or anything. It was great to see her health and appetite come back after smoking! My whole life she never really ate much and was always drained but ever since she stopped smoking she loves food and is super energetic. Good luck with keeping it up, she said it was the best decision she ever made!!!

[Keyav8r]

Hang in there, Don. Like you, I started smoking in the 60s (actually late 50s).  Continued for over 20 years at 1 to 2 packs a day.  Finally the wife and I quit at the same time.  I had “quit” several times before that lasted a week or more, but always wound up with another pack in my pocket.  We both quit cold turkey (there were no pills or patches back then) and both almost backslid but managed to quit one urge at a time.  Basically, I lied to myself each time I wanted a smoke by telling myself I couldn’t have this one but I could have the next one.

I still had a periodic urge for a couple of years, usually when I was drinking or just after a good meal.  So, keep your guard up and lie to yourself if you have to.

[Sir Sam]

Congrats man keep it up!

[kryptronic]

I'm a smoker and have hated it for years.  You've inpired me, Don. I don't think I could ever  go cold turkey, but I'm going to cut down now, in an effort to cut it out entirely within the short term. Thank you for posting.  You are not alone and you have people rooting for you, and proud of you.  

[Wounded_Fighter]

Congratulations mate, keep up the good work! 

[HOrnbrod]

There is no way I could have even attempted to stop smoking when I was working. Lots of stress working / living in different countries and flying around everywhere dying for a smoke as soon as I could get out of customs and run out of the terminal to fire up. Retired now, enjoying it, and there's really no need to smoke anymore. I want to enjoy it longer. Selfish maybe, but SVPete makes perfect sense stating "do it for yourself" is spot-on. Mama's been bombarding me with all my favorite homemade snacks and treats, and I'm enjoying that too. Also, my MJ is complaining of neglect.  

[Ωhm]

Are you going to sell all your chrome ashtrays?

[500 MJ]

7 hours ago, Ωhm said:

Are you going to sell all your chrome ashtrays?

LOL! 

 

Congrats Don, stick with it! 

[fiatslug87]

Way to go!!!

[ejndssn]

Very cool 

I wasn't  a smoker but my mom was after 30 plus years she did the same cold turkey watching the transformation was an eye opening event so I didn't do it. I here there a difference in food tastes which maybe the results of some weight gain.

[HOrnbrod]

Thanks all, you guys rock. Hanging tough and plan to keep doing it.