Quitting Smoking....

Okay, this is going to sound so very off the mark........I'll be criticized and booed off the forum for what I am about to say, but I am going to say it anyway!

Heavy P, I have literally come to the conclusion, much to the chagrin of my relatives, that I thoroughly enjoy smoking! I truly love to smoke! I find it comforting, and a great appetite suppressant and more than just that, the pills the frills the b.s. they give you to quit, landed me in the hospital with seizures.....So, after I balanced and weighed my options, I decided to smoke, but smoke Minor League! As little as possible...I have so few things in my life that I enjoy and I am not ashamed to say that Smoking is one of them..yeah it wrecks health, causes cancer, all that, but I live in the highest concentration of non smoking related lung cancer in the states!

I look at things this way..Beer drinkers and hell raisers are gonna do what they enjoy doing...I enjoy smoking, thus I am doin it..We all smoke like chimneys in the south......

HOWEVER.............Good for you if you do it! I won't ever encourage anyone to smoke! If you can quit without a lot of problems, good...I wish all the best to you babe!..I sincerely hope this works for you! :)

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy smoking. A lot.
I just think it's my time. I've been coughing a lot and it's a little scary. Been 12 years for me, and for mot of that time that's a pack a day+
Another thing is I love to play hockey, I tend to be gassed quickly though, bugs me because, without trying to sound pompous, I'd be one of the better players on the ice if I didn't smoke.
I'm doing it on my own, no patch, no pills, no gum (only Trident ;)) but It's going to be a long road ahead of me.

It can be done, HP. I smoked 2+ packs a day for 18 years, haven't had one since June 3, 1985. The nicotine will be out of your system in around 72 hours. The harder thing to get rid of is the ritual of smoking .... the buying of the cigarettes, lighters, and the like. To this day, I catch myself looking at the lighters by the cash register in the convenience stores. But it CAN be done. Go for it!!!!

Heavy, I'll give you my real life account on smoking. I smoked for 24 yrs. until Dec. 3, 2005, when at 51, I had a heart attack. The first question the doctor told me after he told me I had a heart attack was, Do you smoke?, and I said yes. His reply was quite frank, he told me, You better quit or die. Brother, I'm telling you, I lied there in that hospital bed so angry at myself for smoking, I can't tell you how pissed I was at myself. I ended up with 2 stints being put in my arteries and 4 1/2 days in the hospital. Smoking is way worse to your heart than your lungs, even a little smoking is no good. That heart attack kicked my ass, I couldn't even walk to my mail box 200 ft from my house and back without running out of energy, because of the heart damage the heart attack had caused. I went thru 5 mths of cardiac rehabilitation. Today I weigh 35 lbs. less that when I smoked, I exercise regularly, eat very low fat and what fat I do eat is heart smart fat. My singing is sounding stronger and better than ever because I quit smoking, plus I've got more money in my pocket. One other thing, I loved smoking, I truly loved to smoke, but don't let anyone fool you, your killing yourself if you smoke even a little bit - not good.

Keep up the hard work, if you have to go on the patch to get thru the anxiety, do it. That's what I did, then I started cutting the patches in halves, then quarters, then eights and after 2 mths. I was done once and for all, but by all means quit. Good luck to ya.:)

I sent you an important pm

Looks like you're on the right track, but some visual stimulation will also suit you well. What am I talking about?

Go see Bodies, the anatomy exhibit if you can. In the Lung section there is a comparison between a smokers lungs and a non-smoker's lungs. Sure, everyone has seen the pictures, but having it in front of you really makes it feel different.

I never got into smoking... Not to say I havnt. I did a couple of times, even bought a pack, a guy told me how to do it right so that I wouldnt cough or whatever... So I did it... But, well... I never got into it.

Shame really... How can I be a half decent artist if I dont smoke?

Heck, even Zappa smoked.

I guess that's why I wont make it.

Oh well.

Go see Bodies, the anatomy exhibit if you can. In the Lung section there is a comparison between a smokers lungs and a non-smoker's lungs. Sure, everyone has seen the pictures, but having it in front of you really makes it feel different.

I never got into smoking... Not to say I havnt. I did a couple of times, even bought a pack, a guy told me how to do it right so that I wouldnt cough or whatever... So I did it... But, well... I never got into it.

Shame really... How can I be a half decent artist if I dont smoke?

Heck, even Zappa smoked.

I guess that's why I wont make it.

Oh well.

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley don't smoke. Ahhh...!!! But then again they are Demons and breathe fire and cough blood and stuff, never mind:o

thorn, oh thorn...
all I can say is... nicotine is the devil... well not just nicotine, but the people that deliver it to you with arsenic, ammonia, tar, and a million other things that will kill a rat in a day or two... if you smoke you're dumb, flat out.... you stink, your teeth look like crap, your hair gets all thin and nasty, your face looks about ten years older than it should... it kills you from the inside out... by far the nastiest habit out there- not only do you kill yourself but you damage others around you, plus you stink up the joint... all so you can relax...
this is coming from someone who knows about the nicotine buzz, and the addiction... I chewed for a long time and it's the toughest thing I've had to quit. bottom line is that there is no excuse for smoking.... it's selfish to your family, friends and loved ones.
Drinking is bad, smoking is bad.... but just because people drink doesn't mean you should smoke.... smoking will affect your whole life... how you feel daily to how you will die... smoking sucks.
good luck quitting... keep at it, imagine yourself healthy and free from some useless habit. you'll smell good, look better, feel better, have more cash, and once you get over the withdrawl you'll be on a much more even keel than you are now...
Vinx... congrats on being a survivor and keeping strong!! yours is a tale that should be told to the masses!!

I challenge any smoker here to rip up a $10 bill every day for one month - can't do it huh?

Why do you smoke then?

I am 9.5 months smoke free, and I agree first hand with Slade.

SMOKING IS THE DEVIL!

HAHA.........WOO......what do they say? Oh yeah, the worst smokers are EX smokers...DANG people! :rolleyes:

Don't get me wrong here..Yeah, I need to quit and I will...It's just taking me a little longer than I thought! I'm down to a few a day as opposed to 2 packs a day..And yes, Slade I agree with almost everything that you said, except I look 12 years younger, have thick luxurious shiny hair that I get a lot of complements on, have no wrinkles on my face and I'm 50........No one knows I smoke cause I don't stink! That's just the truth.......Not trying to be a smart azz......But, yeah, you are right...All of you are right........:cool:

as far as alcohol goes......... I think it's the devils brew myself..Seen alcohol ruin families, cause liver problems, kill people by vehicle.......many negatives on drinking, but it's still acceptable in this country to drink socially.....So no one will agree, not even the docs cause they like to drink! It ages you just as bad if not worse, and it breaks down more than one organ in the body....I never wrapped a car around a tree smoking, nor did I kill an entire family behind the wheel cause I smoke.

Let's be at least honest about the two! Smoking sucks.....i agree....you guys made your point...My point on alcohol is just as vital don't you think?...I do!

Good luck Heavy, I'll cross my fingers and toes for ya.

I hear in 2 weeks, the physical adiction is done with and all that's left is the mental/emotional? attachment to the cig's

also, a friend of mine siad he used the wait 5 min. method of quitting. When you feel the urge, give yourself 5 min. waiting time, and usually the urge passes soon you'll find you've gone all day waiting 5 min. without a smoke.
and if youthink about it you go at least 6 hrs without smoking when you sleep, so you half way there :)

That's exactly how I went from 2 packs to about 8 smokes a day in the past month......Staying away from other people that smoke also helps...Everyone I know smokes...My best friend smokes heavily.......So, when they come around it's really hard not to smoke more.

Heavy P, I hope you know I am not even coming close to PROMOTING you to smoke! I am happy that you want to quit! I hope it really works for the rest of your life. IT's a smart move for sure! I'm on my way away from it. I'm doing it my way, but it's working for me. I'll surely miss the heck out of it though!..LOL...and you will too for a while. However, you'll be good to go in a few weeks! Just stay away from other smokers..it helps a lot! I quit twice before. Just don't pick them back up is the key! If we move to Arkansas up in the Ozarks, it will be so much easier for me...I barely smoked in California because of the elevation......It was harder to breath there than down here..It took a while for me to get accustomed to that!

Good luck kicking the habit

I just celebrated 2 yrs smoke free on Sept 13th after 14 yrs of puffin

Remember that it's just the addiction telling you that you need the nic - you don't really need it

Only good things happen from saying no

Congrats and good luck

I'll be a year of smoke free this november.

like I said, booze is bad.... no comparing the two, they're both bad...
if you smoke, you stink... you don't think you do, no smokers ever think they smell like those other smokers... but you do. It stays in your hair, on your fingers, oh and your clothes.... ooooh that smell... can't you smell that smell:D
I've seen too many people die directly from smoking... my good friends mom is terminal right now, lung cancer. never met my grandma, lung cancer. I've had friends with asthma because their parents smoked in the car, in the house. nasty stuff....
the amazing thing about cigs is that they get so deep into your brain that you can still rationalize all of this... just like booze, and any other drug I suppose. Hey, smoke away Thorn... you're an american and have the right to do any irrational thing you like.... just like I do;)

Wow man! Good for you!

When you know it's right for you and you are ready, that's the best time to do it. Sounds like you have it figured out. Way to go!

I smoked for a short 3 month spot. Everyone else in my immediate family smokes, mom, dad, brother. I tried it because I wanted to see what everyone was so addicted to. I figured it out, but at that time I was a sponsored skater. After about a month, I noticed that I didn't have the same endurance anymore. It effected the thing I loved most, so I quit.

Good for you man!

You are doing it the right way. All it boils down to is you just have to do it.

Will be 3 years for me this January. I smoked almost 2 packs a day, Ate whatever I wanted and drank scotch by the gallon. Then my little girl was born and I figured out things are not all about me. Quit smoking, lost 60 lbs and only drink the booze by the half gallon :D

Quitting smoking opened a bunch of doors for me. I have new hobbies(climb 14K ft mountians here in Colorado) and feel like I have a chance to see my lil one grow up. I will keep thinking about you man! You can do it!

Hey congratulations Heavy P! Your ugly family is here for you any time.

I was thinking about this just the other day; the common situation of hearing your Doc say, either you quit right now or you're dead in one month usually leads people to stop immediately. Case in point was Vinx and it looks like he quit just in time. When the Doc had that conversation with my grandma, it was too late. My point being is that, with the above-noted conversation with your Dr. looming on the horizon, why not just stop right now and avoid it altogether.

Maybe you delude yourself into thinking it won't come to that, that somehow you're different from all those around you that had that conversation with their family doc.

Another point here. Family relations? I'm still ticked at my mom for smoking in the car with us as we were growing up. That stikes me as incredibly selfish to sacrifice the health of your children for your own addiction.

Alcohol? A touchy subject there. No end to horror stories around that subject, but what's not usually discussed is that taken in small amounts there is no real harm. At least for those that can manage to do that. As a matter of fact, I've read that small quantities of red wine and dark beer are actually good for you. You can't say that for cigarettes or weed. That's why I don't like alcohol vs. (insert substance here) arguments. A red herring if you ask me. For every raving drunk story, there are also cases of very moderate drinkers who really have no problems whatsoever.

Third time I'll say this........I AM QUITTING okay? Jeez!:D But not because it's politically or socially what I am supposed to do to live in the world..Hell no! But because I need to for my health in general.......I just like to do it! Can't be more honest if I tried! But, I AM QUITTING okay!

NWB, I love ya bro, but alcohol is worse in my eyes.......I've been hit twice by so called moderate drinkers and once left me with a near broken neck and back and a permanent injury for the rest of my life...Alcohol is socially acceptable..That's all there is to that argument..Social acceptance! ;)

Thorn, I have immense respect for you. Yeah, there are a lot of so-called moderate drinkers that are anything but that. I know too many of those. I'm sorry you were hit by a moderate drinker and I didn't mean to dismiss the nasty aspects of alcohol. I think that's a whole 'nuther matter entirely and maybe we'll get to that. Especially the social acceptance part.

My main point though was that drinking has nothing to do with smoking and it doesn't really matter which sort of activity is worse than something else. I think it's best to look at each issue individually rather than making comparisons which isn't (in my mind) especially useful. For example, you could easily argue that smoking cigarettes is much safer than doing meth and therefore ciggies are just fine.

PS - I'm thrilled that you're going to quit.:D
I think that will only help with your health issues and I wish you the best.

I haven't been able to even think about Cigarettes since I was 7. They took my Grandfather from me, with whom I was very close, heck he'd lived with me my whole life.

And it upsets me that my cousins who witnessed the whole thing with me, his decline in health, and even his death, would begin to smoke, without batting an eyelash.

I have not, nor will I ever smoke a cigarette.

Good on ya H_P for quitting.

Thanks for the support guys. Going to be a tough process for me. The other 4 guys I work with ar chainers. Holy fuck its hard.
So this week, I've gone from 30 a day to 4 or 5. I'll hopefully be done by the end of the month.
Then I'm going to put $10 a day into a jar in my room. I'll take that jar and grab myself one of THESE

that's how my dad quit... he took all the money he would of spent on the death sticks and put it away and used it for just himself... not us, his wife, just himself... he would take a hunting trip or whatever... said that's what gave him focus. He said he was holding my sister when she was a newborn, with a smoke in his mouth and felt ashamed of himself... thank God.
it sucks that all the things that are easy fixes to our moods are bad for us... booze, cigs, drugs etc.... exercise does the same damn thing but takes a whole lot more effort...
I was looking at the list of toxins in cigs and damn, I can't imagine ingesting that crap... if you want to quit take a look at what you're feeding your body... that might help. If any part of you doesn't feel right, and you're a smoker, you don't have to look that far to figure it out... ingesting arsenic... you think you're gonna feel good doing that?!?!? nasty stuff...
good work to all of you trying to quit, or those that have successfully... I'm damn proud of you all.... toughest damn thing in the world, but totally doable... right on!!

So true Slade.
My grandad quit in 1981, he coughed up blood, and that was it. When he died a couple years ago (he had asbestosis) they said he had empysema as well, which is scary, after more than 20 years of being quit it still affected him.

Exercising is the other thing I'm doing again. I used to be steady in the gym, 3 years ago I brought myself down from 245 lbs to 218 lbs. I was bench pressing 255 lbs. Then I hurt my shoulder playing hockey, and I got lazy. Stopped for a year.

Gotta get a few things in my life together and on track.

Really appretiate the support from everyone.

Good for you dude. I've quit multiple times and i've made multiple done by dates. I have more of a ritual addiction, I have alot of trouble not smoking while driving. I know if I quit while driving and could stop easily.

It's weird how oddly cigarettes effect different people. My dad smoked 2-3 packsa day for 30 years and he's healthier than everyone in my family. I also have a friend that smokes about a pack a day for the past year or two and he has emphysema(SP?) from that. I wish i wouldnt have tried it and no one should.

Damn my inner teenage rebellion.

The above has been quoted for truth and honesty. Again, well-said Slade!

Good for you Heavy. And I don't mean that in a lame way, I actually mean 'that'll be good for you'. Slade already listed most of the arguments so I won't get into that.

Mainly it's a personal choice IMO.

But I smoked for awhile and quit. Helped my mountain biking ALOT. It'll help your Hockey playing too.

I did the Cold Turkey, took me 2 years to completely ween myself but one day I lit up a cigarette, took 2 puffs and put it out.

Since then a girl talked me into sharing one, it was a 'special moment ya know' :D But I didn't like it.

I think once you get over the addiction phase and past the cool phase and have one you realize how nasty they are.

Been trying to get my little sister to quit for years. I added up the cost, she probably spends $1,200 a year (one pack a day) on smokes. Just rediculous since she is a single mother supporting 2 kids and just scraping by but what can you do? Of course the $1,200 got her attention for a short time period but the lung cancer, leaving her kids without a mom, etc.... doesn't seem to even ring a bell.

So true. The money is a bigger issue in Canada, being $10 a pack. I'm burning $3,600 a year. That's a USA Spector right there. Even a down payment on a car.
And your so tru it will help my hockey. I'm alreadt pertty good, my biggest problem is that I get gassed so quick, and I can't keep up with a few of those guys. And when I puh real hard, and get away, by the time I'm ready to take my shot, I'm so tired its a puny little girly-man shot. I'm going for 2 goals a game this year baby!

Heavy, as far as you being winded, that's your heart, bro, not so much your lungs, but your heart is not getting enough oxygen.:(

I'll give you a little biology lesson - When you inhale air, oxygen molecules attach to the hemoglobin in your blood that goes to your heart to be processed, when you smoke, the carbon monoxide molecule beats out the oxygen molecule everytime there for attaching itself to the hemoglobin. The monoxide molecule then goes to your heart causing heart damage over time, eventually you'll have an infarction (heart attack), could be mild or major. There are 3 groups of people who have heart attacks 1. those that make it to the hospital and come home, 2. those that make it to the hospital and don't come home, and 3. Those who never make it to the hospital. This is not even counting the lung damage your sustaining in the meantime.:(

Especially if your overweight and physically active your a definite candidate for a heart attack if your smoke. Brother, quit you'll have a monkey off of your back and you'll feel so good about yourself. I can't preach it enough. Just think about that new Spector your going to get, that'll help - POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS.:)

Good luck! I quit March 1st this year. There are times when I still think I want it but it gets easier every day.

I agree with the comments about spending the money on yourself - and only yourself too. I ended up getting myself a Springfield Armory 1911 .45 pistol :D (and man is it purty!) Also, once you've actually quit for about a month you won't want to go back knowing all the money you're saving! Well, at least the money you'll be saving after you buy that sweet Spector :cool:

Dare2bfree - I quit smoking a bought a gun. Hmmmm. Sounds like a bad combo to me! ;) Sorry, just made me laugh a little.

Ok, so here's my story. It's a long one and I'm sticking to it.... I've smoked on and off since I was 16 or so. And I had asthma growing up. I know, please spare me the you're dumb comments because I know, I seriously know. So I know that any smoking is bad for you, but as far as smokers go, I've always been very light, 1/2 a pack a day during my teens and most of my 20's (quit for atleast the last year I was in the military), and have quit off and on over the years for as much as a year at a time. And during most of my 30's a pack would last around 3 days or so or I was not smoking at all. I'll be 40 in Feb.

I've determined that I'm now a situational smoker (as somebody mentioned before) and for me its all social. I very, very rarely buy a pack, I usually bum them. :D I smoke when I drink, and when I'm at band practice with my twanger who smokes. And that's pretty much it. I don't smoke during the week really. I don't smoke by myself or very rarely do and I'm finding it more boring as time goes on.

And let me tell you Thorn, I like smoking too. Always have. I like how cool it looks when I blow it out. I like holding the cig. I like flicking the ashes. And I like flicking my cig butt away when I'm drunk and don't care. (I almost always field strip them and throw them away rather than litter them.) But I'm beginning to get it that even my weekend smoking and practice smoking once every couple weeks is still just more than I need to be doing.

Trouble is, that is the hardest time to not do it. But you know what, you guys have inspired me. I have a big drinking and enjoyment weekend this weekend and I'm going to do what I want and have a last hurrah, and then I'm going to put them down again.

And I fully expect this to be my support group from here on in. And I don't mean that we'll stop talking about this in a week. Somebody needs to bump this thread every week for the next 100 years. It's funny, because I would never join a support group for this sort of thing and I hate to talk to my family about it, but this might be the perfect place to get this kind of support. Is that weird? Or is it the general anonymity that makes it more acceptable?

As for drinking, here is my little $.02 on that. My stepfather was a drunk, my real father was a drunk too. Statistically, I should be. But I have a bar full of booze that is collecting dust like it's cool. Yep. I'm a social drinker too. And even then, I've learned to gauge where the point of no return is. I can't remember the last true, puking hangover I had. In my early 20's, especially in the Navy, I didn't know how to do that. But it's a science now. And I can get pretty blotto without over doing it. And I'm kind of a light weight. And this only happens maybe once a month if that.

Oh, and at gigs, I love the look on the bartenders face when a band member walks up and asks for water or a coke. They always look very confused.

Oh, my point. I agree with whomever said comparing smoking and drinking is an apples and oranges issue.

I also read that somebody mentioned they heard moderate amounts of alcohol can be healthy and I've heard and read that as well. We live in wine country here and they are very fond of quoting studies that show 1 glass of wine per day can be very healthy. Especially for the heart if I remember correctly.

Wow, was I bored or what? What happened here? Oh yeah... I'm going to quit smoking again! For the last time. :cool:

Might I suggest this thread go sticky? If Heavy and myself and others are going to be/are quitting and this is therapeutic, then maybe it should stay at the top. And considering Slade's surprisingly vocal opinion of the subject, maybe he will agree. :D

Yep, I'm a social drinker, I think I'm gonna have a drink. My reply, So shall I.:rolleyes:

I know it's a casual phrase to throw around, but it's a pretty accurate description. I really don't get drunk very often. And if I have one beer during the week that's very rare. It's not unusual for me to go 2 or more weeks without any kind of alcohol. I just don't crave it. And I drink about 6, 20oz. bottles of water a day. Mmmm water. :)

But I am seriously quitting smoking after this weekend. Serious Slade. Sticky this mofo so us quitters can have some support!

Hey Myx, I hear ya on the time to drop it stuff....As each day goes by I feel more and more like just chunkin em! My sis in law smokes like you do...the here and there way.............One of my Native American Aunts told me that since tobacco is so sacred to them, one of the things they noticed is asthma sufferers who take up smoking are usually either cured of it, or it is fairly dimished because the tobacco keeps the lungs and airways dry, so years ago they would give tobacco smoke to the young on rare times when asthma attacked them....

...........? insert smart azz commentary here folks!.. Oh and before ya all do that, I AM NOT SAYING I FEEL THAT WAY.......I was simply told this...........Thankyou for not shooting darts in my eyes today!:):D(runs and ducks for cover from the ex smokin squadron! HA! It's a joke people...Light up, I mean lighten UP!:)

One thing i want to address though, light weight, social drinking is fine...Maybe a couple of times a year, like New Years Eve and Contraband days, I drink a little, but when I say a little that's exactly what I mean, because for me it's not hard to NOT drink...It hurts my kidneys and muscles very badly to have even Nyquil.......I remember fondly my drinking and gigging days and I could put away a good bit without a heavy buzz.........All the same, everyone thinks a drink or two is not gonna affect them driving but it really does sometimes........

The woman that hit me had ONE drink.......she was tired and an older woman in her late 50's early 60's and tiny...It affected her much more than she thought because when the sun hit her eyes that late afternoon, she lost control of her vehicle..

The young man that had his leg broken in five places that hit me and caused my severe neck injury, had two beers after work...

Someone said they were angry at their father for smoking when they were babies......Back in those days people didn't know what they know now about cigarette smoke. I have a lot of friends that are missing a relative or sibling because back in the day, their parents drank and drove with them in the car......Back in the day........So I can dig how ya feel, but no one wrote owners manuels for kids or health then.........As far as I know now they still don't for raising kids but parents now days should know better than to smoke around their kids..Outside, alone is fine......that's their business..I hardly think past generations of parents did these things on purpose......They were ignorant to what we all have information about today!..It was the way people lived for a long time.....It's different now!

Just a point..Not a sermon!..:cool:

PEACE!

STUCK!!!

quit. it stinks. it's expensive. it's ugly. it's a killer. it's WON'T cure asthma. it's just not worth it. save your cash and buy something cool as a present to yourself for taking your, and your families health seriously.

I'm always impressed with people who can smoke, or drink occasionally... I can't do it... I'm an all or nothing kind of guy. I drink. I drink too much. I don't drive when drinking. I'm killing my liver. I'm carrying around 20 extra pounds because of it. Yup. Drinking is bad... but this thread is about smoking, not drinking. If you want to start a thread about booze go for it.

I'm so glad that some of you are inspired to quit, and that you see our community as a support for that. Anything I can do to help people from slowly, or quickly killing themselves I will do. Let me know how I can help support you and I will. I love you guys....:o:o

Sheesh Myx, it was your good friend NWB that pointed out the apples and oranges thing as well as the one drink of wine good for you matter. Dontcha remember?;)

You're in good company here Myx, Thorn, and Heavy. Your ugly brothers and sisters are here to see you through this difficult transition. PM me or whatever anytime I can help.

Like Slade said, we all love you and want you to be here on this earth with us for as long as you can.

PS - Funny thing, I drink a single beer per evening pretty regularly but I don't like to get at all intoxicated. More than a physical need or a social thing, I just like the taste of a really good brew. I'm fortunate that I can do that and fully realize that some folks can't. For those that recognize the dangers within themselves and stay away from the stuff, I have nothing but admiration.:cool:

Ha! That's true :rolleyes: Guess it was a good thing that it was a month after I quit before I got it or I may have used it for target practice when I shouldn't have! The biggest point is to buy yourself something with the first stash of cash you get from not lighting up!

One of the screamers in our group smokes and it was a little hard being around her at first, but mostly now I just have to stay upwind of her when she's smoking. After 6 months of being free of the smell, I can't be confined with it very well. GoNigelGo smokes a pipe or sometimes cigars and the smell from them isn't as bad but he also doesn't do it in the house. The feeling of wanting one comes to me every now and then, but all I have to do is to smell the smoke from someone else and it changes my mind real fast.

having grown up with a alcholic and HEAVY smoking parent, I do't do either.

we never had any money growing up and the house stunk.

my wifes mom lit a cig around 1950 and the flame has gone from one cig to the other.
sometimes one in each room so she doesn't have to carry it around. No, I'm not kidding, to this day the house STINKS. I don't go there either. My dad would come home on friday after doing laundry, buying groceries (we were so poor we didn't have the luxury of have a washer, our dryer was a line in the yard), then he would leave and wouldn't see him till late sunday night unless mom needed the car so we would get someone to drive us around till she found it and then she would drive it home leaving him there. Dad was a navy man and drank till there wasn't anymore and smoked the filterless camels, also chewed KingB. So its not just what it does to you but also what it does to your loved ones. The wife and I don't drink or smoke. Neither do either of my sons.

dare2bfree, good choice on the Springfield .45
nice peice, I carry a Kimber Ultra CDP II compact .45 with Crimson trace laser grips and Bianchi holster. Got wilson combat mags for it. Carried the Sig P229 .40 as my backup weapon with small of back holster. Nice piece also but don't carry it anymore. Too many
in the safe now. Cant carry them all.

but its all in what you want to do but for us we don't do it. If you can quit and WANT to, good job.....

This is not smoking got me

Nice!!!!!

I'll give you a little biology lesson - When you inhale air, oxygen molecules attach to the hemoglobin in your blood that goes to your heart to be processed, when you smoke, the carbon monoxide molecule beats out the oxygen molecule everytime there for attaching itself to the hemoglobin. The monoxide molecule then goes to your heart causing heart damage over time, eventually you'll have an infarction (heart attack), could be mild or major. There are 3 groups of people who have heart attacks 1. those that make it to the hospital and come home, 2. those that make it to the hospital and don't come home, and 3. Those who never make it to the hospital. This is not even counting the lung damage your sustaining in the meantime.:(

Especially if your overweight and physically active your a definite candidate for a heart attack if your smoke. Brother, quit you'll have a monkey off of your back and you'll feel so good about yourself. I can't preach it enough. Just think about that new Spector your going to get, that'll help - POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS.:)

It's scary man. You know, I never wanted to hear this stuff before, but I'm listening now.
I no longer smoke in any of my vehicles, which is not so bad any more. After one week I've got pretty much no problem there. Working is hard, the nature of my job is being outside a lot. It's nothing to light one up, there were times I'd be working on a unit, and have 4 or 5 in the span of a couple hours, now I'm at 4 or 5 in a day.
I slipped a little tonight, had 2 while we were out for coffee, got int a little debate with some buddies, but the good thing is that I feel shitty about it.

Baby steps. I'm In a mindset right now, for the first time in my life, that I'm going to do it. No more excuses, no more bullshit, just do it. I'm back in the gym again too. Im a couple of months, I want to be back in the same shape I was 2 years ago, only this time as a non-smoker. Then I'm not only going to be knocking people on their ass at the rink, but I'll be skating circles around 'em too ;)

Incedentally, nice 8 there BB!

Good job on the sticky, Slade. I'll keep checking back in. The bumper gave me the oh crap look when I told her I was going to quit again. :D I get a little grumpy. And I'm kinda neurotic anyway. Aren't we all?

Anyway, had about half of one today. I'm still nursing the end of a cold so it tasted like crap. Put it out. BIG party tomorrow. Will be getting ripped. Prolly smoke a little. Then Sunday I'll be too busy working to even want one. And then I'm done. And checking back in here often to keep the faith.

Thanks ugs...

And Heavy P... for the record... I'll be blaming you for this sh!t for a few weeks. ;)

I'm honored :) ;)
And I'm right there with you brother.

First off, congrats to you who are quitting. You have my utmost respect and support.

Give yourselves a pat on the back.;)

I've been puffin' them nastyazz things for 35 years now and am finally giving some serious thought to quittin' these friggin', nastyazz things.

I'm putting a plan together for a Q-date of Oct. 13, the day I turn fifty.

So again, congrats to you guys, and thanks for the inspiration.

LowDownDad:cool:

If all I get is a stuffed penguin for quitting smoking, I'm not gonna quit!!

Naw!! You can also get a double handled mug for those rough mornings:D

Sounds like you are pretty set on this Heavy_P.

I think that is the most important thing, the mindset. You have to want to and be commited to it to get over the addiction.

I think that's the problem with 'nicotine cures' like the patch. It's the 'easy' way out and people expect them to do all the work. But all they are doing is getting nicotine from another source and keeping the addiction flowing.

The nicotine patch only helps with the anxiety, it doesn't cure the ritual. As in any addiction, there is a ritual. When an alcoholic drinks, he goes to the bar or goes to a store to buy his liquor - he's really already drank, because of the ritual. If he's to stop drinking, he must not go to the bar or store to buy his booze. Same with cigs, if you quit smoking you must overcome the rituals, smoking while on the toilet seat, smoking while on the phone, smoking after you eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Those rituals are what become the demons, the nicotine leaves your body within 3-5 days . . . why do you think they put 20 cigs in a pack?, so that you can develop a ritual. The psychological addition is far greater than the physical addition to cigs, break the ritual and you break the habit, that's what the patch will do for you - is help break the ritual, not cure it. After a few days you can start cutting the patch in half, leaving the cut end facing upward. Keep cutting the patch down and within 12 days you are off the patch, the anxiety is gone and you will have had enough time to learn new habits or rituals to take the place of the smoking ritual. You may still have the urge or cravings once in a while, but remember an urge or craving last only 1 min., that's all 1 min. Get over that minute and that's one more urge or craving you've beaten, it will only get easier . . . I know, I've done it.:)

That is so true Vinx. I was just complaining about how my best friend and I get together, she smokes, I do fine until she's around and we basically chain when we are sitting around talking together........Not good! So, I am about to challenge her on it...I made a rule..No smoking in my house even if it's raining outside!..She'll have to go outside to smoke and that will break up the conversation and the ritual we are so used to..She wants to quit too!..'

Also, got all my test results a few hours ago..Doc says my lungs, heart, and overall health is excellent. Problem is stress and cortisol. I have an adrenal burn out because of stress, and my back and pain can likely be controlled through chiropractic and enzyme replacements.......I'm willing to try anything!..:) The chronic fatigue is a result of chronic pain, it makes a chain reaction through the body, etc......learning to control the pain and curing insomnia makes it much better!..