Moose10

I know there's been smoking threads on here before, but it's my turn now. Monday morning (May 15th) is the day. My wife and I have both been smoking about a pack a day each since around 1992, and have "tried" to quit several times before. Now is the time for many reasons, but I'm just curious as to the lenght of time you guys smoked, how long you've been off 'em, and what were some good coping strategies.
Thanks, and wish us luck. I'm going to have one right now....

PistolWhipt

I smoked for about 10 years (started when I was 16) when I quit for the first time. Lasted probably 8-9 years without a puff. Then I let myself get weak and started smoking OP's (Other Peoples ) .... not any healthier but definately easier on the pocketbook.

Then when my mom died of lung cancer back in 91' ... I decided that I didn't want to go out like that and I quit for good. If you have ever had someone very close to you dying of lung cancer ... you wouldn't have a problem "coping" with the urge to smoke. It is a painful and merciless death.

The first time I quit, I used to carry a small, work down pencil that I could use to pacify the need to have a "smoke" in my hand. Many people have an oral fix that makes them need to go thru the motions of putting it to their lips and drawing a breath. Whatever works .... beats the heck out of chewing the nicorette gum which I think is trading one drug to another. The final time quitting was not a problem.... put em down and don't even think about it now. I get sick at the smell these days which makes things hard in a country where everyone else smokes and can smoke everywhere .

The best thing you can do is just redirect your thoughts ... when you get the craving for a smoke, go do something physical right away. Pick up a broom and start sweeping up the shop, go for a jog or grab the pruning shears and head out to the yard ... redirect your mind and go get some FRESH AIR. You will be rewarding your body with the good stuff and doing it one step at a time.

I can't tell you how much better you will feel after a month or so of being clean. Your lungs will clear out most of the crud that you have been shoving in there all these years and you will feel like a new person ... guaranteed !!

They say that you will have already shortened your life span due to the toking that you have already done, but living the rest of your life feeling that much better is worth everything in my book !!

Good luck to ya ... both.

PISTOL

berner

I started smoking when I was about 13 and quit the first time at 35. I've since been battling the freakin' habit for 14 years. Same old story, I'll quit for a good while (longest was 3 years) and then start having the odd puff. Then it's the odd smoke. Before I know it I'm back at it full time. Moral of the story, don't cave in to the craving. The longer you go, the less frequently and shorter the cravings become. If you do cave in, jump right back on the wagon. It'll be easier than if you smoke for a month or two.

When you do quit, praise yourself when you make it thru a situation where you use to have a smoke. Tell yourself, "Wow, I made it thru that and it wasn't so bad. I can do that again no problem". Drink lots of water and take good long deep breaths when you get a craving. Before you know it, you be able to take those deep breaths without hacking up a lung. Try and avoid situations that make you want to smoke for a while. Don't worry about weight gain. It's a 100 times easier to lose weight once you've got the smoking habit under control.

Typing this has got me wanting to quit this filthy habit again for good. One good thing is that you're both quitting and can support each other. If one of you does happen to slip, don't use that as an excuse to have a smoke too. Remember, non-smokers don't smoke. Best of luck to you and your wife.

CIN'S DODGE

I smoked for 11 yrs. and finally quit smoking Oct.1 2004. I tried that Nicoderm CQ there are 3 stages, 3rd stage being the strongest. I put it on my arm and it stunk to the high heaven. Did that for 6 days and qiut. I wore each pad for 24 hrs. Even a few days after your arm smells funcky.I can't stand to be around it now,it's like bringing back that smell. YUK

surfram

My wife quit smoking 6 years ago after 18 years of up to 2 packs a day. The 6 months after she quit were pretty rough but it was worth it. I cannot imagine her ever going back to smoking.

BigBlue

Not to relevant but my folks used to smoke back before I was born for a long time. My dad took up gum chewing (spearmint and wintergreen, not nicorette) and weight lifting and my mom just quit cold turkey. That was 20 years ago and they still get the craving in the morning. You just gotta be strong and have the desire to do it. I personally think it's all in your head cause I've smoked more than enough to be addicted yet I don't get any cravings or shakes or nothing. You just gotta tell yourself that you don't want it and go and find something else to do. I've watched my roommate "try" to quit and it really just boils down to unless your motivated and actually WANT to, then you probably won't. You've gotta really want it and work hard for it. Like pistolwhipt and berner said, whenever you get the craving, replace it with something else. Running, lifting, chewing gum, yard work, house work, honey "do" list, counting the blades of grass in your yard (or ant mounds ). Good luck and I wish yall the best.

Fronty Owner

I have been a second-hand smoker for most of my life. I dont see me quitting anytime soon.

TAS05CTD610

I smoked for around 6-7 years. Not as long as some of you guys but I am also young. I quit because the girl of my dreams said you ain't smoking (no problem there). But also when you add it up. I mean even if you do really basic math, a pack of smokes up here in good ole Rhode Island is 6 dollars, so figure 4 packs a month that's 24 bucks. multiply times 12, that's 300 a year you save, 2 packs a week bucks, 3 packs 864, that's a lot of bomb money man.

I chewed regular gum when I quit smoking. I chewed so much gum I went from 210lbs down to 170 Yeah I chewed so much gum I never ate. It's both, it's adicting due to nicotine, and it's habbit forming. I wanted something greater in life (back then she was nice) but in all honisty it's what's worth it to you. I don't want to die of lung cancer (and with most of the disel fuel smoke, don't need any more).

You can do it, don't cave, dont' do it. Almost 2 years smoke free now adn I"m still doing good. Reward yourself, instead of a smoke, go get a 6 pack with the money you sell, or something. Treat yourself (but don't become an alcoholic or something. he he.

Tom

ramlovingvet

I Smoked for over twenty years and quit in 1999.. My reward was I could afford My 1999 Dodge. Good Swap but it was tough. Use an aid. I did the patch.

Your quitting will be in our prayers.

DSjockey

Smoked for 18 years, quit 12 years ago, used the patch to get over the hump, do what ever you have to do to succeed in quitting

CIN'S DODGE

My biggest thing was I found out my brother had COPD a type of Emphazema.He's is only 36 it scared the crap out of me. It's Hard to quit smoking and it's alot of will power.The most important is the support of your family and friends. I had the best support group that I could ever imagine having.Wish you all the luck! Cin

Commatoze

My mother is presently in hospice for end stage Emphysema. She's been a smoker for much of her life, and now has at the most about 2-6 months remaining. She's a little over 5' and has withered to around 85 lbs. Sixty years ago, when she started that nasty habit, she was a natural blond and real knockout. If you all could see her now, it might help in your quest to quit. The last time I went to visit her in the hospital, I looked in, but continued past the room because the person in the bed wasn't my mother. Unfortunately, I was wrong. If my parents smoking did any good, they made 4 people, their kids, hate it with such a passion that neither of us has ever touched one. If you're a smoker, pray that when your ticket is punched some day, it's a massive coronary that claims you because what my mom is going thru is slow suffocation. Shake it before it's too late.

edwinsmith

I started smoking after I got out of High School. Both of my parents smoked and my brother smokes. When I got married she finally convinced me to quit and after several tries I was finally able to do it and not sneak a smoke when I was out of the house.

It was hard to do because I was trying to taper off which I found out was actually the hardest way to do it.

Later on after about 20 years of marriage we split up and I started smoking again. I smoked for several years. Once I was visiting a friend who had emphysema and he would use oxygen mask and pull the mask away to take a puff. Talk about hard core addict! I decided that on New Years eve about 10 years ago to quit for good and smoke my last cigarette at midnight.

I quit cold-turkey and haven't smoked one since.

My father died one morning from coughing. He had emphysema so bad he had to get up in the middle of the night with coughing fits. One night his heart just stopped. His wife found him on the living room floor the next morning.

A few years later my mother died. She also had emphysema and coughed all the time. It was hard to have a conversation with her because she was often interrupted with coughing spells and had to use oxygen all the time. She probably died from the same causes as my dad.

Emphysema is much worse than lung cancer. It damages the whole lung and makes it extremely hard to breathe. It goes on for years progressively getting worse until you stop smoking or death stops you. At least with lung cancer you go quick and don't suffer so much.

I found a book which told me that trying to taper off is actually harder to do than just quitting cold-turkey. I would say it's the same with all the patches, gums and pills which just replace the addiction with a different delivery method.

The physical addiction is gone in a few days but the psychological addiction lasts for much longer. If you get in the habit of patching, chewing etc... instead of smoking you're still an addict.

My advise, just quit and don't look back. It will be tough at first but it gets easier as you go along. When I quit I was staying with my mother and she was smoking but listening to her cough reminded me of why I quit. It also made her mad that I quit so easily. EASY HELL? It wasn't easy but people like to make excuses for why they don't quit and the difficulty of quitting is the most common reason for not quitting.

If you really want to quit then just quit. Find a period of time when you won't be under any stress such as an ocean cruise or vacation and then just quit.

Edwin

P.J

I quit after about 9 years of smoking a little over a pack a day, it's been almost 4 years.
My wife just passed the 6 week mark today. She is miserable as ever, (still). She used the patch for the first 4 weeks, then instead of "stepping down" she quit using it all together.

She smoked about a pack a day for 15 Years.

Danderson

The quote above is from a song in the sixties and points out the idiocy of smoking cigarettes(or anything for that matter). My wife who still smokes and myself a non-smoker visited my mom five days a week for five months in a skilled nursing facility where she died one day at a time. She was a beautiful bride when my dad married her and tobacco destroyed her looks and health. Watch somebody you love die of this disease and you'll quit forever. I have continuing nightmares of staring down at my wife's coffin at her funeral. The real pity is she won't even try to quit.