Terri Thank you for making the decision to quit. It is one that many of us have come to after years of bashing our bodies with a rather nasty poison. The sad part of it is that I never thought of myself as an addict. After all smoking is legal and there is a pack available around every corner. Once upon a time it was an acceptable way of going. It was considered a habit. Well fact of the matter is it is much more than that... My heart goes out to you. I understand the ambivalance that you are feeling at this moment. But take heart you have a universe of souls around you here who understand your troubles and are willing to invest in your quit. There were days when that fact alone got me through. Take your time, this is a process that will take courage, strength and determination. The good news is that IT CAN BE DONE. Set your mind to the task and then do the things that will help you: DRINK WATER until you feel you are about to burst BREATH DEEPLY...This will help a great deal when the urges come... WORK YOUR BODY...Exercise raises the neurotransmitters that give you a sense of well being...(that is what nicotine also does) POST HERE as much as you can...positive, negative it dosen't matter, what matters is that you feel connected to people who are going through the same kind of things... In the early days I went to the extent of carrying a stop watch around...As soon as a crave came down on me, I set the watch and waited for it to abate...I found that those crushing craves never lasted but five minutes...I finally figured out that I could beat them every time...Anyone who has ever done interrogation work will tell you that the most powerful tool in the box is time. That is why people under interrogation are isolated and left without a way of counting time. By using the stop watch you become the master of the situation. Believe me you can do five minutes standing on your head. If on the other hand you are unaware of the duration of time, you mind will think that it is lasting forever... Most of all understand that you smoked for a reason, it may have been to avoid doing an unpleasant task, it may have been to avoid an unpleasant situation...What ever the reasons, you need to work on identifying them and then use alternate methods of dealing with the stimli that encourages you to smoke...Some of this is pure behavior modification, some of it is learning to deal differently with various emotional states and some of it is physical withdrawal. But all of it is good for you and probably the single most beneficial thing that you can do firstly for yourself and secondly for all of the people who love you in this world. You can do this, we are all here and you are not alone... nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 336 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 10,080 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,528.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 61 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 51 [B]Seconds:[/B] 14

Well Terri you will be a bubble brain for a few days. Tell your co-workers what is going on. While at work be sure to drink water, take deep breaths, get up and walk around if you can. Try and change your break routine. Keep a list of reasons why you are quitting handy and read them over and over. Print out some post from here or other sites and have them handy to read. You can do this!!! Oh yes a sense of humor helps. Keep the Quit Sparky [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]4/30/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 210 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,100 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $315.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 28 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 55 [B]Seconds:[/B] 52

You've heard the expression, "If was easy, everyone would do it." I think it holds more true for us addicted to nicotine. Today is day 29 for me, and it's still not easy. We get a lot of help from everyone here. The best suggestion that I followed was to change something in my daily routine. It really does alleviate at least one or two triggers. Remember to pay a lot of attention to what so many successful quitters have to say, and post often. Don't hesitate to ask for help. Everyone here wants to see you succeed. Goofy [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]10/28/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 29 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,160 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $182.70 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 5 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 36 [B]Seconds:[/B] 45

Terri, it really helped me to notice the postives of my quit, that I smelled good, I could taste food, I could smell again, I wasn't wheezing, etc.... It is tough now, but it gets easier, I promise, just keep quitting. You are so worth this. Sue [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]5/3/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 207 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,070 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $362.25 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 19 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 28 [B]Seconds:[/B] 50

Thanks you guys - the first day was pure hell, and today doesn't feel a whole lot better so far, but I really appreciate the support and encouragement. I feel like a bull in a china shop - I am kind of light headed and uncoordinated. Honestly, if it does nothing else, it is making me more determined. I am truly shocked at the strong hold those little paper demons have had on me for so long. Kelly, I will check out that thread - thanks for that. And Moss, congrats on one week (it feels so far away to me right now)! Good for you! Now, on to Day 2 (is there any way I could just maybe sleep through this first week?) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]11/25/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 28 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $14.56 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 51 [B]Seconds:[/B] 40

You go Terri, This morning marks my first week. Each day I got up and the first thing I thought of was myself and what I was going through. This morning the first thing I thought of was you. I think I found your first post from the 19th. I too was recently diagnosed with a smoking related health issue and I also have a new grandchild. Both of those reasons, and all of the obvious ones, were the catalyst to give this another go. Trust in the advice of these good people who have made it. Look for posts that touch your soul. Use a straw to breathe through. It forces you to breathe deep. Drink lots of water to flush the toxins. Allow the discomfort to be just that, uncomfortable. It will come and then it will go. Whether we are on the road, in the ditch, or have two wheels in the gravel, keep reading, keep educating yourself, use the tools, and know that many are walking with you right now. Moss [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]11/19/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 7 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 105 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $18.38 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 58 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0

You are right it is hard and it really is an internal battle...but one you can win. I noticed that in the first 10 days with the first week being especially hard) that I really was doing a lot of self talk. Try and give yourself mental pep talks and pretty soon you will see your attitude change from this is difficult to I'm doing it and really loving it. i'm on Day 14 and am finally starting to notice that I don't think about smoking as much and I'm more likely to not have a smoke as I am now a non smoker. Keep thinking of reasons as to why you shouldn't or don't want to smoke. I feel so much smarter and stronger about smoking than I ever have in my life. I don't have any other great advice that is guaranteed to work, but there are so many examples of people quitting on here, that you know you can do it too! Everyone here is so friendly and encouraging that it keeps easier to pick up motivation. No one has a magic answer and many people go through this. Learn from all the other posts on here and pretty soon you'll see how it actually becomes much easier to be a non smoker! Congrats on getting through the first day, you can do this! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]11/12/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 14 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 210 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $175.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 58 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44

Welcome! My quit day was only a few days ago and I too felt like a bubble brain, but that has since gone away!! Stick with it and hang in there, everyone here are great!!! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]11/22/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 4 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 48 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $23.23 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 46 [B]Seconds:[/B] 46

Terri, Welcome to our support community! Preparation is the key to success and we have all the right tools to help you get started. Your body will go through many changes and we can help support and guide you. Post often and let us help, we are always here and know what you are going through. Josie, Support Specialist

Terri, Welcome to our support community! Preparation is the key to success and we have all the right tools to help you get started. Your body will go through many changes and we can help support and guide you. Post often and let us help, we are always here and know what you are going through.