Wow!! way to go !! I am a new nonsmoker using the patch and had been wondering If I am going to have to go through all 3 steps of using the patch. Its good to hear that you were able to manage to quit the patch after 18 days. kootos to you ;)

hello all, I thought that smelling smoke or smelling it on people would really bother me. But today(after only 6 days as a nonsmoker) I could not stand sitting by someone that came in to a gym and sat next to me. My husband thought it was because it was a trigger, but it was just that it made my stomach turn. this is a good thing, I think [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/13/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 6 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 124 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $24 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 7 [B]Seconds:[/B] 59

Congratz on being smoke/patch free [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/9/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 11 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 166 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $82.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 18 [B]Mins:[/B] 55 [B]Seconds:[/B] 20

I was using the patch up until Monday night, when I was reading old posts and read about how long it takes to flush the nicotine out of your body (72 hours) - and suddenly decided I wanted no more nicotine coming into my body, not even from patches. So... even though this is my 18th day of my quit from cigarettes, tonight will be 72 hours since I had nicotine... and it's good. All good. I haven't had significant cravings, even though yesterday I was in a car with a (co-worker) smoker for five hours and now I'm sharing a hotel room with her. She offered to share a nonsmoking room with me, but it honestly doesn't bother me to be around smokers - I know it's a trigger for some (maybe most), but it isn't for me. I am still a supporter of WHATEVER it takes to get oneself quit (patches, gum, mints, prescriptions, hypnosis, meditation, yoga, m&m's, etc.) but for ME... it feels great to be nicotine free! [img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y137/sammijofl/smoking-1.jpg[/img] [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 17 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 520 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $51 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 18 [B]Mins:[/B] 47 [B]Seconds:[/B] 55

Remember I said that being around a smoker is not a trigger for me? Well, that is definitely true. I just got back from my 52-hour trip to Tallahassee with my friend and co-worker who is still a smoker, and my resolve to stay quit is stronger than ever! I don�t know if it�s because my quit is making her feel threatened, but she like chain-smoked for the entire time we were up there. The hotel room we shared was a suite with a bedroom (two full-size beds) and a livingroom/kitchen area. She kept the window open (good thing it wasn�t too cold!) and sat near it, trying to blow the smoke out, even though I kept telling her that the smoke wasn�t bothering me. The meeting that we went to yesterday started at 10:00 am and ended around 4:00 pm. Even though there were frequent breaks built into the agenda, I was sitting right next to her and could see/feel/sense her antsy-ness develop, accelerate, and grow, starting about 30 minutes after each break. Meanwhile, I was serene in my lack of withdrawal symptoms! And it felt GREAT to know that I was NOT feeling what she was feeling! Wasn�t so long ago that would have been ME crawling outta my skin, dying for a smoke, finding it hard to listen, wishing they�d take another break, � and here, after just 17 days, I was sitting there calmly and quietly, not feeling a THING. Last night we watched a movie in the living room and she did the sit-by-the-window-chain-smoking-thing. I went to bed before she did and man, she was OBVIOUSLY relieved that she could close the bedroom door and just RELAX and have a smoke without having to worry about me. She ended up sleeping out there on the couch. When I woke up this morning, my chest felt all congested, that heavy feeling like I used to get after a night of chain-smoking. I thought at first it might be from all the second-hand smoke I�d been around the day before, and maybe it was, but then I coughed � and woohoo, my cilia must be growing back! I�ve never been so happy to see yucky crud in my life, LOL. Tonight when I got home and opened my suitcase, PHEW! It reeked of cigarette smoke! I know that it always does when I travel, but this time it wasn�t MY smoke, ha! So, okay, after this little trip, here are some of the reasons why I feel more resolved in

Hey! I just noticed! I gained another day! I'm officially two days younger. :)

[size=4][color=red]Hey y'all, THANK YOU for the encouragement & support!![/size][/color] Every day I am so grateful for the changes in my life. Get this... [size=4][color=blue][center]I can yawn. Deeply.[/size][/color][/center] For at LEAST the past twenty years, I have not been able to have a really deep, satisfying yawn. How sad is that?!? In the past few days I have noticed that not only can I breathe deeper, my yawns are GREAT. What a weird thing to celebrate, LOL. I saved my little glove compartment thingie today... just thought it was neat. [img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y137/sammijofl/glovecompartment.jpg[/img] See that peak on the 16th? That's me going off the patches. See that I'm back down to a low/moderate craving level? It has gotten SO MUCH EASIER so quickly that I'm amazed! Doing a little happy-dance here in Florida. =D [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 19 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 590 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $57 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 37 [B]Seconds:[/B] 23

Well done, you, SammiJo! I had to laugh about not being edgy in meetings and looking forward to a plane trip. I can't wait to take that London - US flight to see family next time it comes around...maybe I'll actually be able to READ and not be climbing the walls :) Keep it up, inspiring stuff here! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 20 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 467 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �110 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 59 [B]Seconds:[/B] 53

SammiJo: What a great story! I know what you're saying, though, because being around doesn't bother me (well, the smell does), but I actually find that it helps cement my resolve. Just watching a smoker, as you described, makes you realize how it once was for you, if you'd only been paying attention. I know my husband has been smoking a lot more since I quit. I think you're right -- we make smokers very nervous now. You know what it is -- they ENVY us, because let's face it, no smoker really wants to stay a smoker. What great insight you had. Thanks for sharing. Keep the faith -- and your wonderful quit. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 103 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,155 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $824 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 13 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 2 [B]Seconds:[/B] 54

SammiJo: That is SO awesome! I know exactly what you mean. I've tried patches and gum, etc., but this time, once I understood my addiction to nicotine, it just seemed silly -- and harmful -- to keep putting more nicotine into my body. I know that the patches have helped so many people ease out of the nicotine, but you clearly made a decision that you are all done with nicotine. That is so great -- congratulations! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 102 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,103 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $816 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 13 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 2 [B]Seconds:[/B] 5