Cold Turkey

[shellyd67]

After a health scare (which I posted in an earlier thread) I have not touched a cigarette in 3 days.

Not to say I haven't had a craving but I am under serious fear mode right now and that is helping.

I am hoping to never to touch another cigarette ...

I have follow up appts to go over all my health issues and meet with- a surgeon on Monday to discuss my gallbladder issues.

This has been to most terrifying week of my life.

I want nothing more than to make some healthy lifestyle changes...

Keep me in your prayers please .... Shelly

 

[ML]

I will definitely keep you in my prayers. I lost my dad to lung cancer and both my mom and husband continue to smoke with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and they're slowly fading. I know you can do this -- you have our support.

 

[Star*]

MAY ALL YOUR CIGARETTES TASTE LIKE DOG DOOKIE SMELLS............

u can do eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

 

[DDD]

Best of luck. Having a "scare" can trigger the resolve necessary to quit. When I quit years ago it was the result of pneumonia which made me realize that i didn't want to ever fight for my breath again. It was a successful motivator for twelve years of cigarette free living. Sending supportive hugs. DDD

 

[april1974]

Shelly- You can do this! I smoked for 17yrs and I LOVED my ciggy's, but Jan 3 2005 I quite smoking, we were undergoing ivf in the spring and I knew I had to give them up(I quit also with my pg 20yrs ago with daughter too, but resumed smoking when she was about 5months old)

my #1 tip is mind over matter, smoking is an addiction but it is also a choice and after a few days the nicotine is out of your body and simply a mind game, I took up crocheting when I quit(I can't crochet anything but a long line of nothing, but it gave my hands something to do) the hardest part for me was that feeling of bringing my hand to my mouth with my ciggy, I had to retrain my brain to do something else. quiting was the hardest but most rewarding thing I have ever done & now I despise it(good thing too) I hate the smell, the look, I find it repulsive now! that was me doing self talk when I quit, I would say "Smoking stinks, smoking causes lung cancer, smoking is gross, smoking is xxx......." this self talk really really helped me.

You can do, I'm here if you need any advice etc...it does get easier, the cravings DO get less & less....I rarely want a smoke, usually the craving passes and most times it's the opposite of a craving since I find it disgusting now, I don't like to be around it.

good for you making the choice to quit!

 

[Hound dog]

Holding good thoughts, saying a prayer. And wishing you all the luck in the world.

Cold turkey is not for me, not if the people in my life wish to survive. For me smoking replaced nail biting......and that took an eternity for me to break even with smoking. ugh

Although since having used and had some success with Chantix.........I can now go up to 4 hrs without one and not think much about it, which is pretty huge. I'm currently trying the I won't light one until I can't stand it method. Was working great until easy child's accident and now the labor issues with nichole. ugh

 

[keista]

Congratulations on your resolve.

I too am still struggling, but have managed to completely stop in my car. This was tough since when I was younger I'd always "go for a drive" Sunflower seeds in the shell are the only way I made it. Unfortunately, I still MUST have the salted ones. So, if you , like jan1974 and I still find "the hardest part for me was that feeling of bringing my hand to my mouth" try some sunflower seeds. They've got the "good" fats, and since you have to work the shells, calorie impact is minimal.

Congratulations, and keep on keeping on!

 

[shellyd67]

I love sunflower seeds !!! I am going pick some up when I go to the market later. Thanks for the tip !

Thanks for all the good wishes everyone. It has been 4 days ... I do want a cig so bad ... Gonna take it one day at a time ...

 

[Hound dog]

Keista

Had to laugh with the sunflower seeds. That's how I finally stopped nail biting. lol

 

[keista]

Ah, the forgotten sunflower seed is resurrected! I don't even know how I remembered them when I started cutting back. I always try broccoli and matchstick carrots, but I ONLY like those with Ranch dressing - great for snacks, but not when you need something 24/7.

Shelly, glad you liked the tip, and HD, glad you stopped biting those nails. I still chew on mine.

 

[Star*]

If you stick your fingers in dog dookie? You will also stop biting your nails. I swear it.

 

[shellyd67]

On day 5 now ... I still want one bad but know I cannot have one !!!!

I am keeping really busy. I cleaned our entire upstairs head to toe... all 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms... It took my mind off smoking (somewhat, lol)

Well here's to day 6 (crossing fingers)

Thanks for all the support !!!!

 

[Star*]

Six days since you have had what?

A smoke or a fingernail? (sorry, could NOT resist......you really did leave me wide open)

GOOD FOR YOU!!!!! On all 11 counts !

 

[shellyd67]

Both Star !!!! LMBO

 

[shellyd67]

OK, so I am really starting to wonder how I am ever gonna manage my crazy life without smoking ???? What I am nuts ? I have a difficult child for goodness sake ! I need some type of outlet, right ?

I am also really watching what I eat and that also suc*s !!! I am one miserable lady right now !

I still have not smoked and I hope to continue on this path.

I MUST, MUST, MUST get my health in check.

Just venting ....

 

[keista]

Alcohol???????????? Just a thought. I know, I am kidding.

Just posting again to add some support! You can do this!

 

[Star*]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT_______________

CURRENTLY? YOu are 'probably' at the stage in your life with your difficult child that you NEED to occasionally YELL at them. (true or false)

It takes FIVE YEARS for your lungs once you stop smoking to rid itself of the junk you created from smoking and start regenerating (true)

In FIVE YEARS? WILL you need a STRONG VOICE for yelling at a difficult child? Possible (true or false)

It takes TWELVE YEARS once you quit smoking for your lungs to regenerate to normal and begin to look healthy with no signs of every smoking (true)

In TWELVE YEARS? Will you need a strong set of lungs to possibly enjoy your life with your difficult child out of your house - say perhaps take up biking, running, swimming, rollerblading? Chasing Grandchildren? Belly Dancing, Sky diving, Snorkeling, Scuba Diving - Karaoke, Opera sining, Choir - ALL the things that you did NOT do, and put ON hold WHILE you took care of a difficult child? (TRUE)

So in essence - the good thing that you are DOING NOW...but stop smoking is preparing yourSELF for YOUR LIFE ahead and has NOTHING to do with your life CURRENTLY and it's stressors from difficult child. difficult child BEHAVIOR is already robbing you of ENOUGH things IN YOUR LIFE. DO NOT ALLOW IT TO ROB YOU OF YOUR HEALTH. START NOW, PREPARE WELL.....AND PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE...of FUN, EXCITEMENT - and if you don't have it now? POSSIBLY ROMANCE - because you will be healthy, not gacking up a loogie, having emphasyema, dragging around an oxygen tank into an Arbys, and trying to eat your sandwhich with a mask on your forhead, you'll be young, vital, sexy, and thnking I AM SO GLAD I WAS SO SMART TO WORK THROUGH ALL THAT JUNK and SAVE THAT MONEY AND PUT IT BACK FOR MY VACATION TO THE BAHAMAS FOR ME AND STAR!!!!!!!!

SEE? WIN WIN!

 

[DDD]

I'm rooting for you. One thing I did during my recent 20 or 21 days of success that seemed to help was make myself drink a glass of water every time I felt tempted. I don't enjoy water, lol, but it gave me something to do plus I figured maybe it would flush out the cig chemicals. Also it lead to frequent BR breaks which also changed my activity patterns. I also tried to make myself take short walks when the urge hit me....can't say that I had enough self discipline for that! I do think that coming up with a personal intervention pattern does help a bit. Good luck. You can do it. DDD

 

[april1974]

Shell you can do this, when I quit smoking is when I really really needed my smokes, daughter was a teen and pulling off tonnes of teenage drama and we were dealing with infertility, I was so stressed, BUT.....it's a mind game and one I decided I would win.

Here's what helped me(I quit cold turkey since I didn't want to do the patch and spend money on drugs/gums etc I have a stuborn streak, and after 3 days the nicotene is gone so it's all in your mind) anyways here's a craving for me:

I would think "I need a smoke, I REALLY REALLY need NEED a smoke, why shouldn't I smoke, it's my enjoyment, blah, blah, blah, NO YOU DO NOT NEED a smoke,.....ok brain here it goes..If I were to light up right now it would take me 10 minutes to finish a ciggy...so for 10 min I"m going to xyz(read,computer,housework,crochet,phone someone)" then when the 10 minutes passed I would tell myself "see, you would be butting out now and look you survived without actually having a dirty gross cancer stick, you can do this body, we can beat this addiction because it's a choice not an addiction!"

Self talk, it works.

 

[shellyd67]

I am on day 7 !! One week of no cigarettes !!!

I am doing it !!

With all the money I am going to save, I am starting a jar for a nice trip for me and Star !! LOL