Quitting Smoking

[Amy]

I haven't needed an alarm clock since I quit.

Come to think of it, I did wake up much earlier when I first quit. I remember abandoning my alarm clock as well.

Not anymore though. I could sleep until 10 if Steven would let me (and my boss). Hopefully, you'll get to that point as well-- loss of sleep is not fun.

Luck to you!

[woodsman]

Well I sure am glad I started this thread. It seems as if we have gotten quite a few to quit. If it was just 1 person it would have been worth it. Why don't we all do an update of how long it has been and how our lives have changed.

I am at right around 1 year or better. Sorry I try to forget that I ever did smoke. So I am not sure of my exact quit date. But my life has seen a huge change since quitting. I have purchased some excersice equipment that I have used religiously for over 6 months now. I do weight training every other day. That usually takes around 45 min. The way I do it, there is some cardio benefits from it as well. We also have a recumbent exercise bicycle, that I do every other day. That is a 45 min ride at around 22-23 mph. These 2 regiments have been a huge change for us.

I guess we figure with the years of abuse we did on our bodies smoking. We need to turn it around and exercise and eat properly. All I know is my energy level has been at the highest it has been in many many years.

Never quit trying to quit.

Jeff

[boomac]

Congratulations to all of you who have stopped puffing! You've done yourself a great favor and should be very proud. I quit 8 years ago and although I miss it at times I’ll not go back. For me it was easy…..I just think about the chest pains! Quitting before you suffer a critical experience may be difficult but it’s a really good thing!

[gaspr]

It's been over a year for me now, I don't miss it at all. I find myself feeling sorry for the few remaining friends that still smoke. Even better news is that my wife has quit for all of two months now (thanks to Chantrix). No sleep problems for me but I have to report that I have just recovered from one of the worst and longest lasting colds that I can remember (sorry to mess up the short cold theory ... Up here in Canada we can really save big when we quit...a pack of 25 cigarettes is about 12 dollars CAN or USD....pack a day costs 4380 dollars for one year.

Congrats to all who have kicked the habit and best of luck to those who are getting ready to.

Garth

[germerikan]

Well I sure am glad I started this thread. It seems as if we have gotten quite a few to quit. If it was just 1 person it would have been worth it. Why don't we all do an update of how long it has been and how our lives have changed.

I am at right around 1 year or better. Sorry I try to forget that I ever did smoke. ..........Jeff

I am also glad you started this thread, I had been thinking about it for a while but this just gave me the push!!

For those of you who want to stop now is the best time. I did not think I could ever stop because I really enjoyed smoking. That sounds crazy but it is true!!!! There was nothing better that working in the garden in the fresh air and then sitting down to see the fruits of my labour, drinking a nice cool one and lighting up. Man what was I thinking????

Thanks[D][Y]

Ran

[kcmcramer]

I quit many times in the past. After a couple months I'd just start back up because I was in a bar drinking with friends and was dying for a cigarette.. I don't know why booze makes me wanna smoke but it does and it SUCKS!

I realized that I had to quit drinking casually to quit smoking. I quit smoking July 21st 2006 and haven't looked back. I don't drink anymore either which has helped PLENTY!! Another tip, if your friends smoke cigs, it might be easier for you to quit if you don't hang with them for a while. Smoking is an addiction and being around it doesn't necessarally help. I had a better time when I DIDN'T smell cigarettes. I LOVE/HATE and smell of a burning cigarette.

Now I'm battling my eating habits because I regained my appetite and food tastes better now as well.

I smoked for 14 years so anybody can do it, you HAVE TO WANT TO QUIT OR IT WON'T WORK!

GOOD LUCK TO ANYBODY WHO IS TRYING. I GIVE SERIOUS PROPS TO ANYBODY WHO WILL AT LEAST TRY!

[boomac]

I thought temptation in a bar or casino would be the most difficult but that’s never been the case. I was tempted to smoke when my Dad was ill and fading but I thought about my kids and the urge past.

On the other hand, I recently saw something on eBay that reminded me how much I did enjoy puffing. It was a post card of the Point Diner in Somers Point NJ and I was instantly reminded of my youth, great looking waitresses, a fantastic grilled cinnamon bun, several cups of black coffee and a few Marlboro reds!

[kcmcramer]

Mmmmm. A cup of joe and a smokie treat. YUM! Now THAT brings back memories of hanging out in the restaurant for hours on end with friends, smokin' the place up. heh heh

[oscarsear]

Started smoking at 12 years old, by age 45 up to 2 packs of Winstons a day, Heart Attack in 1994, quit smoking, Cold Turkey, haven't used tobacco since then...............Will never smoke cigarettes again,.................NEVER........................

I am reviving this thread to see how those who were quitting are doing and to express my anger. I am spitting mad, once again. Why? Because yet again a wonderful person will die before their time because of tobacco. They will die an unpleasant death. This person is our Oldbuckster. Read the Olbuckster update thread.

I cannot tell you the number of times I have been party to these events. The initial diagnosis, the treatment, the progression and the heart breaking dominoes that fall, one after the next, until they have all tumbled. Many on these forums have wondered why I am so adamant about ending tobacco. I answer question after question and render point after point. Oldbuckster is why I am mad. He and thousands just like him are why tobacco has got to be stopped.

Please, everyone be mad with me. Be angry that our gov't allows tobacco to prey upon our youth. Be angry every time you see a tobacco advertisement or a rack of cigarettes. Be angry every time you see a group of teens with cigarettes hanging from their lips. Be determined, be vocal. We really do need to end tobacco.

[garymd]

I got PO'd at OB for some of his posts here but now understand why he kept on me. Sure, I still say he didn't know me well enough to make the assumption that I would start back up but the way things have turned out for him, it sure puts the comments into perspective.

My next door neighbor quit smoking 2 packs/day about 12 years ago and now has COPD:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_obstructive_pulmonary_disease

The old "5 years and you're in the clear" wive's tale about quitting is BS. My neighbor didn't get sick for 10 years and it's directly related to her smoking. It's sad to watch. OB quit in '94!!

Its been just over 15 months for me, 18 months for my wife. We're certainly not in the clear yet but it has improved our lives in a significant way.

Thanks for bringing back this thread. I hope more smokers here take the time to read through the posts.

[HarryO]

Thank you for the update on smoking. Horrible death sticks. YES, they should be banned from the planet. You should be mad.

You've brought up Old Buckster. There are more issues here than tobacco.

There is/was a product called "Agent Orange". It's one of 3 defoliants used to clear foliage that the military used long long ago in a land far far away. Blue, white, orange. D245T I believe was the designation on the barrels they were loading onto the aircraft. It's been over 40 years now for me so my memory isn't as sharp as it was.

Old ROB, myself, and tens of thousands or our youth walked through thousands of acres of terrain sprayed heavily with this stuff. They flew over us and sprayed it directly on us. It blinded us, burned any areas on our bodies not fully covered, made us sick on the spot, and made our skin look like chicken pox or a large rash. So many of our 'Nam Vets have died, and are dying of cancers and many other factors directly related to the defoliants.

Most likely you can thank the chemical companies for this one guys and gals. I won't mention the name but if I'm not mistaken the company's initials are D.O.W.

If you're into crusades, you could always get on the bandwagon to get our government off their a$$ and take care of the Veterans of our country instead of running them through miles and miles of "Red Tape" delays, paper shuffling, and denials. This could have been caught sooner. He complained for a long time about his back hurting. He had to follow the "standard procedures" set forth by the system.

Smoking sure didn't help Rob but there are factors that contributed as much if not more than tobacco here. Rob has had multiple issues many not associated with cigarettes.

I hate cigarettes as much as anyone does but if you're gonna post this comment please put all the factors in here and not just one you're familiar with. There's a lot more to it.

I don't wish to offend. Please don't take it as such. I just saw your comments as limited in your knowledge as far as the "Old Buckster" is concerned. Maybe I'm just a bit sensitive right now.

You are TOTALLY correct IMHO about cigarettes though.

Harry

[oscarsear]

Harry O... With no intent to diminish the consequences of exposures to Agent Orange extensive studies have shown that it does not increase the risk of developing lung cancer. They have studied our veterans, Australian Veterans, Vietnamese civilians and many other exposure related groups. Lung cancer is just not among the major consequences of exposure to this stuff. I fully agree that this gov't needs to take better care of veterans injured or harmed during their duties. Yet, relatively speaking, tobacco will kill more Americans in the next 3 months than were killed in Viet Nam and both Gulf Wars. Not only is there this hideous statistic of death and misery but much of the health costs for this are bourn by the citizens of our country. Lung cancer was once a rare disease. That ended near the end of the 19th century. That's because automated cigarette manufacturing did not start until the latter 19th century. Since then the incidence of lung cancer tracks perfectly with the increase in cigarette consumption. The best proof are the statistics for lung cancer in women. They got liberated in the early 20th century, began smoking and their incidence of lung cancer tracks perfectly. Tobacco is what led to Oldbucksters situation.

[Bill H.]

Jeff,

I am rooting for you! Especially after reading about Old Buckster's situation!

[CECAA850]

The "Great American Smokeout" is in 2 days (11/20). I've got a co-worker who's going to try to stop on that day. We're all pulling for him.

[oldtimer]

All I know is that my mom never used agent orange, but died at 64 from emphysema and smoked all her life.

[artto]

Oh, quiting smoking is EASY.

My friend Chuck has done it lots of times!

[:#]

[stormin]

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/279/21/1715?ck=nck

Just another reason to tell yourself its time to quit.

3 years and 3 months smoke free after 24 years!

[garymd]

Coming up on two years (both me and the wife) after smoking most of our lives. Now we're the worst types of ex-smokers. We don't even like being outside when our next door neighbor lights up. Only once or twice in the past year or so have I had any urge at all.

All I have to say is CHANTIX to those who say they can't do it!!

[stormin]

Coming up on two years (both me and the wife) after smoking most of our lives. Now we're the worst types of ex-smokers. We don't even like being outside when our next door neighbor lights up.

Congrats to you and your wife Gary.

Smoke has become very irritating to my nose and throat since quitting.

[Travis In Austin]

I quit, in part, because of this thread. It was time for me to quit, Gary had the info on Chantix he shared, and I haven't smoked since I quit in late June of '07.

I reccomend Chantix at least once a week, it works.

Travis