I am smoking my last cigarette from my last pack...EVER!

[Maddy McCall]

Those of you who were here night before last know that I am quitting today. I am right now smoking my very last cigarette EVER--and am sharing this momentous occasion with my DU friends.

So, after I smoke this cig, it is over...I will be a reformed smoker. I am dedicated to this--and I appreciate all the advice that will make the transition from smoker to nonsmoker easier for me.

Wish me LUCK! :toast:

[blm]

1. Best of luck to you, jchild.

You're a toughie...you can do this.

;)

[Maddy McCall]

4. I'm envisioning my son growing up...

and I want to do this. That is my primary reason why, besides all the fringe benefits like being able to breathe, taste, and smell again!

Thanks, blm :toast:

[On the Road]

2. Congratulations!

Remember that every craving will pass if you hang on.

[Maddy McCall]

13. I have lots of gum here now...

and I will try to go to bed earlier, since late nights are the worst time for me.

Thanks for the congrats, ribofunk!

[wtmusic]

3. Best of Luck

PM Catpower2000, she's at around day 40.

Stick with it, and keep us updated on your progress. It's tough (I did it twenty years ago) but you can do it!!!!

[Maddy McCall]

12. I will keep you all updated...

I am telling myself that I will not have moodswings, so hopefully you won't see my nonsmoking status through bitching rants on the board. LOL!

[Aristus]

5. Words of inspiration:

One time on the West Wing, they were all talking about the beauty of human potential, and they summed it up in the phrase:

"Look what WE can do!"

I know you can do it, jchild! We are with you! :thumbsup:

[Maddy McCall]

10. Thanks Aristus...

I have been amazed at how supportive DUers are to each other in difficult times.

I am trying to keep a positive frame of mind and to see this as a positive. I CAN DO IT.

[Cheswick2.0]

6. the minute you finish that cigarette you become a nonsmoker

remember that you will not be a smoker trying to fight an unatural urge to stop. Instead you will be a nonsmoker trying to fight the urge to do something harmful and unatural to your body.
Walk, eat healthy, drink lots of water. Notice how much better your lungs feel after a few weeks. Get the patch if you must. Imagine chest pains, that'll scare you into keeping the cigs away.

One thing you will notice is how nasty cigarette smoke will smell to you. You will wonder why you never noticed that your car, your clothes and your hair smelled so bad.

[Maddy McCall]

Thanks, Cheswick...then I am now a nonsmoker!

Am going offline now to thoroughly clean house, throw away lighters, ashtrays, do the laundry, sheets, etc. so that I truly have a fresh start.

(I guess cleaning the car will follow!)

Thanks DUers for your support.

:loveya:

[arwalden]

16. For My WORST Nicotine Cravings...

... during the first few days. Here's something silly that I did which actually helped a little.

I would "smoke" air. I'd purse and pucker my lips (while nobody was looking) as though I had an invisible cigarette there. Then I would draw in the deepest breath that I could. Hold it for a second. Then release it. (This also works well if you've just chewed a couple of Altoids mints... if you were a menthol smoker.)

It was more of a relaxation technique to help overcome the stress and instant-anxiety or panicky feeling associated with those sudden and STRONG urges to get another nicotine fix.

Usually the feelings like that last just a minute or two. Just bear with them for a couple of minutes, and it will be over.

Sure, sure... another urge will eventually come along. But you already know that you made it though the previous ones... so you can make it through the next ones too.

And... the best part... is that the urgest start to come along less frequently. And when they hit, it's less and less strong. Less urgent. You feel less panicky.

I'm not sure why it seemed to help, and I'm not sure if it would help you... but it couldn't hurt to try.

Good luck.

-- Allen

[jono]

7. GOOD LUCK!

I'll be joining you on the nonsmoking side soon! (My quit date is in three weeks.) Keep us posted!

:toast:

[Maddy McCall]

8. PM me whenever you want and I will tell you...

how it's going and we can offer each other mutual support!

:-)

[jono]

17. I will!

Thanks! Having a support network is critical when you quit; I think that's one reason I haven't been successful in the past (my friends were all still smoking, which makes it that much more difficult).

:hi:

[Maddy McCall]

19. BurtWorm is quitting tomorrow...it is his daughter's birthday

and his gift to her. We will surely network!

[Waistdeep]

9. Good Luck!

Quitting smoking was the hardest thing I ever did (over 30 years ago). Just like you are planning, I smoked my last cigarette (actually, I smoked my last pack before noon) and never had another puff.

The hardest part was difficulty concentrating for several weeks. I had to give up drinking coffee for several months because smoking and coffee drinking were so strongly associated with each other.

It took me around five years before I truly felt like a non-smoker.

[Maddy McCall]

11. No beer for me until I am comfortably nonsmoking...

I drink beer infrequently, on weekends at friends' homes, but I am giving it up until I am sure I can handle being around other smokers.

Congrats to YOU!!! YOU GIVE ME HOPE!!

[prolesunited]

21. That's an excellent idea

I did the same thing. I think the temptation is too strong at first. Good luck! You CAN do it and we're all here rooting for you.

[Mixxster]

14. Good for you!

Hang in there. You might consider putting the amount of money that you regularly spent on smokes in a jar. After 6 months or so, you could buy yourself something nice. Or, just use it as reinforcement when you're tempted. You could picture yourself just burning that money.

[bowens43]

15. Remember that when the cravings come

they only last about two minutes and then they go away for a little while. Just think of it as 'getting through the next two minutes' instead of never smoking again and it's easier, at least it was for me.

[denverbill]

18. Alright Jchild!!! WTG.

Remember Jchild. If you ever get the urge to smoke, drop by DU or www.quitnet.com and post.

[Maddy McCall]

20. YOU GUYS ARE GREAT! I have to go purge my home now...

of all traces of my smoking past. Will be back tonight...thanks for the wonderfully supportive comments!!

Byebye :hi:

[Rowdyboy]

22. Very proud of you...

Its tough but doable. One idea I liked was to take the money you would spend on smokes each day and put it a jar. At the end of six months, take it out and splurge on something you really want. Also, you might keep a jar full of water-logged butts. If you get the urge, open it and take a deep whiff.

Tough love! :toast:

[Maddy McCall]

23. It's been almost seven hours...

and I am doing great. I got rid of all ashtrays and "paraphenalia" and got some febreze and sprayed my car. I haven't had a bad craving...I have had small ones, though.

The money-jar idea is a good one, especially since cigarette prices just went up 20-30 cents/pack.

The brand I smoked now costs 4.25. That would add up quickly, wouldn't it? Thank god I only smoked a pack a day--even one pack a day would be 30 bucks a week, and $120/month! Wow!

I may open a savings account for my son with the money.

[jono]

26. Be sure to do something very nice for YOURSELF

with some of the money. Buy something that you've wanted, but couldn't really justify spending the money on.

Maybe you could put half in a jar for yourself and half in the bank for your son. Or, put it all in a jar for yourself for the first month, and after that put it all in savings.

7 hours is a good start!!!

:toast:

[GaYellaDawgDem]

28. Way To Go!! Keep it Up!

Congratulations on your new life as a nonsmoker! It's almost 4 months for me and the urges now are just mostly in my head. From time to time after a long day at work I might think I want to stop at every convenience store on the way home to get a pack...but I know I won't do that. The notion that's helped the best was to have a colleague mention that one of the things she was most proud of herself for was that she quit smoking a year ago. Being proud about my accomplishments has helped to make any real urges much more bearable. (And I don't really get real cravings much any more.) So be proud!

Good Luck!!

Rooting for you in Duluth!
PatrickB

(BTW, you might be interested in getting one of those stop smoking meters. I use a free one that keeps up with how many I have not smoked, how long it's been and how much I've saved, etc. It's a great way to measure your wonderful progress!)

:bounce:

[Maddy McCall]

31. Where would I get the meter...

that sounds like a nifty gadget.

[GaYellaDawgDem]

34. Meters

The one I use is at http://www.alft.net/software - then scroll down to the bottom. There are others at the miningco.com forum for smoking cessation. You can see those at http://quitsmoking.miningco.com/cs/quitmeters/index.htm where their mantra is "hang tough...don't puff". Keep On Not Puffing!

[BonjourUSA]

24. BRAVO !!... And I hope you will not be a former smoker who...

... pisses the smokers off :-)

Nothing worse than a former smoker !!!!

[Maddy McCall]

25. I will be until I get over the cravings....

Today when I was in car line to pick up my son at school, a woman in the car in front of me was smoking...I wanted to scream, but I just rolled up my window so that I couldn't smell her polution. LOL!

[BonjourUSA]

32. Was she smoking more than her car ?

Hold you own in this way.

I tried three times ! I must stop but I need help. I'm going to consult a medic. In France, the anti-tobacco consultations are free at the hospital and efficient if you have the will to stop.

[ForrestGump]

27. All right! This is it...good luck!

May the Force be with you - DU certainly is!

[blondeatlast]

29. Please stay out of GDF. Especially now . . .

Hey, good luck. I saw how incredibly difficult it was for my parents to quit; it is an incredibly difficult thing.

:toast:

[rbnyc]

30. You are doing the best thing ever.

And on days when you feel down, you can remember that you quit smoking cigarettes, that you don't smoke cigarettes anymore. And you'll know how tough and how important that is. And you'll know that you deserve to feel great about yourself!

WTG!!!!

One year, eleven months, three weeks, six days, 19 hours, 24 minutes and 28 seconds. 29112 cigarettes not smoked, saving $8,733.70. Life saved: 14 weeks, 3 days, 2 hours, 0 minutes.

[Lars39]

33. Good luck! Congratulations!

No advice, just rootin' for you! :)

[SPICYHOT]

35. Welcome to the club!!!

and don't look back!! you'll do it!