Hi everyone,
I just wanted to take a moment and introduce myself. My name is Jen and I am currently a smoker. Linda was kind enough to open the door and let me in (providing I left my cigarettes and smoke ridden clothes outside). The reason I wanted to join your group is because I will soon be replacing the bad habit with a healthier one. I am hoping that I will find support amongst y'all. I also thought it might be helpful to create a journal in here of my day by day progress as an inspiration to others. My "quit" date right now is November 20th, but I have a feeling I may be moving the date a little closer.
Looking forward to hearing from any of you and please pardon me ahead of time if I have some grumpy, testy moments!
Sincerely,
Jen
Welcome, Jen! I am so glad to hear you have set a date to make yourself healthier. Quitting will likely be one of the hardest things you have ever done but it will be worth it. Your breathing will improve. You will regain your sense of smell and your sense of taste will be heightened.
If you have time, please check out my thread on How to Quit Smoking. It is a pet project of mine. I had hoped others would offer their own tips there along with mine but, right now, the tips are all mine. I am going to go looking for more to add there in the near future. It is that important.
Thanks, Lin, your thread on how to quit smoking is what made me decide to join the group! This will not be my first attempt...this, however, will be my successful attempt...
I've been a smoker for over 30 years - ranging from 15 - 25 cigarettes a day. I can remember telling myself that whne cigarettes got to be $1.00 a pack, I would quit because that was too much money. With the recent luxury tax hike in my state I am now paying approx. $8 -$10 a pack. Something I can NOT afford. But other than financial reasons why now? What has pre-empted this desire to quit? Well, in August during my annualphysical, my doctor was appalled at the lack of circulation in my feet and insisted that it was time. Shortly after that, during a visit with a Naturopathic Doctor, she came to the same conclusion. Two different doctor's, two different schools of medicine - I guess you could say it woke me up a bit. Sad, really.
So why has it taken me this long (from end of August to November) to set a date? Here's an important tip for others. My Naturopath had me switch to a chemical free tobacco (American Spirits, Nat Sherman Natural's, Native Americans) for three weeks to rid me of the addiction to the addedchemicals in cigarettes. That's right folks, for those of you who don't know it, the cigarette companies add chemicals to their tobacco (one source says there are over 4000 chemicals added) to make cigarettes MORE addictive. (One of those chemicals is ammonia - it turns bound (acid) nicotine compounds into free (base) compounds making it easier for your lungs to absorb the nicotine, in turn making the smoker more addicted. It's the equivalent of freebasing cocaine. There are chemicals in cigarettes to make them burn more evenly, faster, slower - yep both at the same time, the list goes on. There are 51 carcinogenic chemicals alone in cigarettes.) So, I spent three weeks smoking chemical free cigarettes and set a date.
Thatdate was important to me. Every birthday and Christmas since he was 10 (he's now 28) when I've asked my son what he would like his only Birthday/Christmas request was for me to quit smoking. The date I set was one week from his birthday. I was greatly anticipating the thrill of being able to tell him that THIS year his birthday wish had been granted. But, then disaster struck. About a week before my quit date in October, while I was half way across the country - I received a phone call. My son was in the emergency room with afractured vertabrae in hisneck (he is doing well...very lucky - no damage to spinal column). Emergency flighthome and stress levels elevated, my quit date was forgotten and ignored. And then this week my husband (also a smoker) was rushed to the emergency room because of severe chest pains. (he also is just fine. A wake up call from his body to say TAKE CARE OF ME!). New date set. For both of us. TIME TO STOP. PERIOD.
What we've been doing so far to prepare for the date - All ashtrays out of the house. No more smoking anywhere in the house (we had limited ourselves to one room - because, um, we couldn't stand the way the house smells from cigarette smoke). Loading up on healthy snacks (carrot sticks, nuts, raisins, fresh fruit, etc ) as a replacement for when the cravings get too bad.Making a list of other things we can do that will occupy our hands.
Oops! More later...I need to get to work!
Jen
That I begin the process of cleaning out my lungs and heart and circulatory system and breath, etc. Don't wish me luck as luck has absolutely NOTHING to do with the process! Instead, wish me strength, courage and will power! (And you might say a prayer for my disposition over the next few days as well)
Jen
That I begin the process of cleaning out my lungs and heart and circulatory system and breath, etc. Don't wish me luck as luck has absolutely NOTHING to do with the process! Instead, wish me strength, courage and will power! (And you might say a prayer for my disposition over the next few days as well) Jen
Will do on all counts, Jen! I'll also be hoping that the air stays fresher by just a little bit for the rest of us.
PUT THAT NASTY, SMELLY THING DOWN NOW!
We are tired of smelling it. Yuck!
Okay? Good! That's out of my system. Hopefully cigarettes are out of yours. Let's start over now.
Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Every minute that you are smoke-free can save your life and also helps save the lives of those around you. It is not just you that you are hurting by smoking. It is everyone around you. They worry about you and they have to smell your habit, even though they may have made the right choice in life by choosing not to smoke. Second hand smoke kills, too. Don't think of just you. Think of those that love you and those that care about you. That includes me or I would not take the time to yell; PUT THAT THING OUT NOW! Now go wash your hands.
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