How long has it been since you quit smoking?

[jamasmom]

It's been almost 8 years for me. I quit after Maggs & Jazz came to live with me. I would try to smoke in the kitchen out the window but Jazz would always come into the kitchen and look at me with her big eyes. I figured she was telling me to quit so I did!!

 

[c1atsite]

Hey otto. Congrats. I was only a "weekend smoker" (and a light one ie the type that "bums a cig" off a friend) from 1992-1994. I told myself it was all so silly and with that, i smoked my last cig in around '95

 

[captiva]

I smoked for about 20 yrs. I had surgery and couldn't smoke for three days in the hospital and just never picked it back up. I really never had a desire to ever pick it up again. I quit 6 years ago. My hubby quit shortly after I did.

 

[nanner]

These are all great stories!!

 

[otto]

Congratulations everyone. It's a huge achievement. A life changing accomplishment. And there were so many other benefits that I didn't think of at the time.

I saved money and my diet improved because I was no longer running into the convenience store to buy cigarettes when I stopped to fuel up the car. When I went in there I would end up leaving not only with cigs, but candy bars, cokes, whatever. Since I pay at the pump, that ended.

I gave up cokes completely because my afternoon coke went with my afternoon smoke. It just wasn't the same siting there with the coke, without the cigarette, so I gave that up too.

No more anxiety about being in situations where I might not be able to smoke. I mean, always plotting how can I slip away and have that much needed cigarette, in any given circumstance. Such a lot of stress.

No more worrying about running out. It's 10 pm and I've only got 4 cigs left. Will they last me until tomorrow? Do I really want to go out and get a pack at this time of night? But what if I run out? Argh! Just more stress.

No more dealing with full ashtray in the car. GAWD I hated that full ashtray in the car. You don't want to dump it in the house (I never smoked in my home). I'm not a litter bug and wouldn't dream of dumping it on the road like so many do. Constant hassle.

My teeth got whiter. The wrinkles around my mouth lessened. I no longer cough up a pound of gunk in the shower every morning.

No more slavery. No more arranging my life around being able to smoke (and that IS how I lived)

Giving up cigarettes is emancipation at it's highest level!

11 years. And I still can't believe I actually did it. I still am in awe that I was able to do it.

I planned for it, by the way. I set a date two months away, spoke to my doctor about going on the Wellbutrin (had to go off an other antidepressant first). I mentioned it to my sister and she begged me to let her do it with me. She also used the Wellbutrin.

However I used the patch too, she did not. I used the nicotine patch for three weeks, starting at the highest dose and went down a level each week. After the first few nights I started taking the patch off at night, because boy they aren't kidding about the dreams.

In the third and last week of the patch (lowest dose) I never used the last two patches.

Even after all this time I am still conscious of the FREEDOM I attained by giving up cigarettes.

 

[3catsn1dog]

I think its awesome that all of you quit smoking. Sometimes I wish I had the willpower to quit but to go cold turkey I really just dont want to. I have cut down from being a pack and a half a day to half a pack a day. I make my own smokes and limit myself how many Im allowed to have in a day. I do the same for bf because Id like us to eventually cut down to having none but we are just doing it in a way where its not drastic or wont have us plotting each others demise. Seeing how many of you quit gives me just a smidgen more hope that someday we will be able to quit...Im happy though that instead of costing us $300 a month it only costs us about $30 a month making out own. I use half the tobacco in bought smokes and make them smaller to also help cut back on how much we smoke.