Hi Lola,
You are doing great Lola. It looks like your right on track and progressing into the exhaustion stages. After two or three weeks you will get tired of the battle and are impatiently waiting for the day that you might wake up and feel normal. At this time you will probably feel like everything that's going on is a result of you not smoking. You've got that devil on the shoulder whispering in your ear "C'mon, just buy a pack have one and throw the rest away." "You've had a hard day and no one has to know." I know it's hard but this is the time that you need to keep your guard up the most. If you think your exhausted now just wait until you give in one time. This will pass but it's really tough and you need to ignore that little devil on the shoulder because he's just trying to survive. You will pull through and this feeling will go away. Keep a few things in mind.
Smoking won't help your situation - I'm sure you already know this but it's worth a repeat I think. We say that smoking helps us relax, concentrate, handle stress, eliminate stress, enhance a good moment, enhance a good meal, reduce fear. Any drug that cures everything doesn't cure anything. The addiction makes us believe that what we are addicted to is the cure. You know a person that chews tobacco feels that it solves the problems above too. So would a herion addict. Think about it.
Sleeping patterns go all out of whack when you quit; however, some times it's a good thing. I am not a morning person but I was amazed that I was going to bed at 12:30 every night and waking up at 5:30 when I quit. I knew I wasn't getting enough sleep but I felt great when I woke up and it lasted until I went to bed. I read up on it to find out if I was losing my mind and found out that the carbon dioxide in my blood was being replaced with oxygen. I was getting more oxygen so I was getting all the sleep I needed in less time. Unfortunately, and this really is a shame, this stage doesn't last either. After a month or two I was back to dragging myself out of bed. Although it is still easier than it was and I don't feel that feeling in my chest in the morning like someone had dumped a bucket of tar on my lungs.
Lastly, I don't know your work situation so I can't offer advice but I can say this. The emotional state of a new ex smoker can be pretty crazy at least it was in my case. Whether you quit your job or not is no ones business but your own but take the time to carefully weigh all the variables to make sure your making a decision that's in your best interest. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion. You can confront someone in a resonable and respectable manner. You said this person said something that was minor and also said that it may result in you quitting. Obviously it was not minor to you. You could tell him/her how you felt about what they said and if they give you a hard time you can make it clear that you didn't want to go over their head without first bringing it to them. That usually helps shut people up. Do that one on one though not in front of a crowd. That said, I don't know the situation, the work environment, etc so take this last comment with a grain of salt.
You're doing great Lola. Keep up the great work.
Mr Q
My Milage:My Quit Date: 8/4/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 177
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 4,248
Amount Saved: $1,327.50
Life Gained:Days: 19
Hrs: 18
Mins: 2
Seconds: 22
