I quit!

[Deb]

I started smoking when I was barely 15 so it's been 35 years of a cigarette in my hand most of the time and I'm one of those smokers who smokes because I really, really *love* to smoke. But a few weeks ago I had a CT scan done and the results were enough for me to decide it was time to stop spinning the roulette wheel. I have the beginning stages of emphysema, hardening of the coronary arteries, some shadowing on my lungs, and a nodule in my left lung. The emphysema is minimal enough that if I quit smoking now its progression will slow to the point of being a non-issue for a very long time. The nodule in my lungs is too small to determine if it's cancer or not so I'll have regular CT scans every six months to monitor it. All of that adds up to a serious wake up call and I'm fortunate that it was all found early enough to change the outcome if I quit smoking now.

So I did. I finished the last cigarette in the pack a week ago and haven't had (or wanted) another one since then. There are no cigarettes in the house and I even cleared out all the ashtrays and lighters. I steam cleaned the carpets and polished the house from top to bottom to clear out all traces of smoke and nicotine. I'm using an electronic cigarette as my nicotine replacement system and it gives me the ability to mix my own nicotine solution so I can step down at my own pace.

This is one of those situations where I made up my mind and there's no looking back. I'll never light up another cigarette again. Tracy and Heidi have been my cheering and support system from day 1 and they've kept me focused on all the positive things about quitting and helped me stay excited about living smoke free.

BTW, all those things on the CT scan still didn't diagnose why my oxygen saturation keeps dropping. But I have a new pulmonologist who is simply wonderful. He thinks that it's a neurological issue and my brain just forgets to tell my lungs to inhale and exhale when they should. He seems to be intrigued by my case and seems challenged about figuring it out. (Besides, the pulmonologist that I just fired was his teacher and he doesn't like him at all so proving him wrong would just be fun) He's doing some more research and is setting up another test that should prove the problem clearly enough to convince the insurance company to agree to the machine needed to treat me. He doesn't think that it will reverse some of the long term effects of oxygen deprivation that I already have but he says that over time I should get better and my brain and lungs will play together the way they should. It might take a few years but since I quit smoking I might actually have the time I need to feel a little better. Yay!!

Anyway, I had to share the happy news with you guys. (watch out for Holly coz she's gonna turn cartwheels when she reads this) One week smoke free and looking forward to a smoke free life!

Deb

[woodland_miniatures]

Oh, Deb, I am SO happy for you!!! You GO, girl - and I'll be right behind you.

I also have had a wake-up call recently - oddly, three mild heart attacks with coronary stents placed (the most recent five years ago) and incipient emphysema weren't enough. What clinched it for me is the poor circulation I now have in my feet with neuropathy (lack of feeling) there - and the open wound on the sole of my left foot that STILL hasn't healed in over nine months. And the new pressure sore on the ball of my right foot that also isn't healing....Well, when you find yourself looking at loosing your feet, it does change what's important to you.

It may already be too late for me, but I have been gifted with this wonderful opportunity and intend to seize it whole-heartedly and get RID of this curse of smoking. I also started when I was around 15 and have now been smoking heavily for nearly 40 years, with never even a try at quitting. I'm going to check into the electronic smokes, like you're using, Deb, but basically had intended to quite cold turkey on March 1.

See, the opportunity is this: My apartment is undergoing a major remodel beginning March 1, and I will be moved out to a fully furnished one-bedroom house to stay in while this is going on for about a month, and smoking is not allowed in this guest house. Nor will it be allowed in my apartment building - indoors OR outdoors anywhere on the grounds - after March 10. And I'll be coming back to a home that has all new fixtures, plumbing, appliances, paint, flooring and carpeting - a totally CLEAN place. And the house where I'll be staying has a FREE washer and dryer, not coin-operated like in our laundry room, so I have the opportunity to get clean everything I own that's washable....I canNOT pass this chance up, I just can't.

So I'll be joining you within a week, Deb, and I'm so happy for you and proud of you for taking the bull by the horns and getting this DONE! I also only plan to quit the once, and thank you so much for being such a good example for us. I'm also grateful to Heidi for leading the way, and any others who have beaten this gorilla on their back recently.

[Chris P.]

Woohoo! Great job!

Chris

[Elicia]

Congrats Deb!!! You can do it. It gets easier with each day. I smoked for 35 years until my heart doctor screamed at me and everyone in the office came running. It's amazing what public humiliation can do for a smoking habit. I've been smoke free for over five years. Every once in a while I will want a cig but then I remember my doctor screaming at me and somehow it just doesn't merit hearing that again....LO....keep it up...

[havanaholly]

...(watch out for Holly coz she's gonna turn cartwheels when she reads this) One week smoke free and looking forward to a smoke free life!...

Oh, I'm 'way beyond cartwheels! :thumb:

DH quit cold turkey one day after over 45 years (he started at age 12); in his case a trip to the dentist to have a tooth pulled left him with a foul taste when he lit up the cigarette I asked him not to smoke to avoid possible dry socket.

Have you emailed Peggi yet?

...Well, when you find yourself looking at loosing your feet, it does change what's important to you...I also only plan to quit the once, and thank you so much for being such a good example for us. I'm also grateful to Heidi for leading the way, and any others who have beaten this gorilla on their back recently.

I wish it didn't take these "wake up" calls to get folks to quit this expensive, nasty & potentially fatal habit.

[Steve_in_PA]

Way to go girl ! I started the Chantix last week. I'm hoping.

Steve in PA

[havanaholly]

Steve, even if the Chantix doesn't work for you, do find a way to quit and stay quit!

[JaniceG]

My mom smoked for thirty years. About five years ago, she took Chantix and it absolutely worked. We were amazed because she was a heavy smoker and she never smoked another after the treatment.

I'm happy for everyone here who is quitting, according to my mom, food will also taste better:)

[madhatter]

so happy for all of you that are trying to quit!!!! Way to go!!! :thumb:

[grynche]

Congrats to everyone everywhere who has ever stopped smoking.

[LindaC]

Way to go!! I am using the E Cigarette with medium nicotine but no TARS. To get the low one have to buy completely new kit. Most days I do okay but my 58 years of smoking isn't easy to combat. Who said life is easy, huh? started fooling around with them at 12 and progressed from there. I am praying I am on my last pack.

One of my brothers quit on chantix 6 years ago, a daughter quit cold turkey 5 years ago, another daughter quit recently with a bout of bronchitis.

Smoking use to be a habit until all the 'junk' was added to make people keep coming back for more. It trully is a forced addiction. A scientist (or whatever title) with a major tobacco company told all about this adding addictive ingredients several years ago.

((( hugs ))) to all

LindaC

[heidiiiii]

WTG to Deb and Steve and anyone else that is quitting smoking..

I have been smoke free since November 17, 2009. And you all know how hard it was for me to quit these past 5 years. Chantix was like tic tacs to my habit. Did not work. But it has worked for many many people.

Your house will smell better.

Your hair, breath, and clothing will smell better.

You wont send your family off to work and school smelling like a ciggie butt.

You can actually taste and smell things again.

You can save enough for a vacation..every year!

And your lungs and heart will thank you for it.

[kathyk18]

Congratulations to everyone who has quit and who is trying. I smoked for 40 years and finally just said, I quit, and I did. I had a lot of support from friends and family. Besides things tasting and smelling better, you won't believe how much more time you have to, oh, say . . .work on miniatures!!

Keep up the good work and we'll all be here to support you!

Kathleen

[Starfire]

Congrats to all of you who have succeeded in quitting and lots of positive support and thoughts to those who are undergoing the effort.

DH was a dashing pilot who smoked until he had a collapsed lung as a result of a decompression incident in the aircraft. He started again after being smoke free for a couple of years and shortly after we were married. He wound up in the hospital with pneumonia in Spain and when he come home I gave him some tough love about it.

I guess between the Drs threatening to pull his flight status and me he got the message and has not smoked since. He still gets false positive results whenever they x-ray his lungs for cancer and often has to go back for extra screening before he is given a clean bill of health.

[KoalaSam]

Yes, congratulations to all you quitters! I cannot even imagine how hard it can be, but I have seen my brother struggling to give up smoking.

Hopefully more people will join in and quit too!

[Gee]

very, very well done!!

[Wolfie]

Congratulations Deb! Keep up the good work!

[Deb]

Thanks guys. I thought it would be much harder than it's been but taking the time to set my mind to it seemed to have been the way to go. It might take me awhile to make up my mind about something but once I do, it's set in stone. Finding out about the emphysema was what made up my mind. My biggest phobia is of drowning or not being able to breathe so emphysema is definitely not the way I want to die. The hardest part is giving up the psychological side of smoking--the actual physical action of smoking. I've been doing this all day, every day for most of my life so it's as much a part of my involuntary actions as breathing. <cackle> Okay, so with my brain malfunction it appears that smoking is more ingrained than actually breathing. That's why the e-cig is making such a difference. I'm using the Joye 510 personal vaporizer and I can mix my nicotine solution and step down the levels in a more customized way. I've already stepped down once and it was so gradual that I didn't notice it. The vapor solution is the same thing they use in asthma inhalers so I know it won't hurt me. Even if I don't have the psychological part of smoking kicked by the time I'm off nicotine I can use flavored vapors with NO nicotine so I can still enjoy a "smoke" after dinner or first thing in the morning. I'm using the flavored vapors intermittently already to help transition.

Bruce is quitting with me which is also wonderful news. Poor guy didn't have much choice since I can't be around second hand smoke and it's too cold for him to smoke in the garage or back yard. He's still smoking a few real cigarettes but he's using the e-cig more than the real ones. I think I'm going to send his cardiologist a note to let him know. LOL! He's been trying to convince Bruce to quit since his first heart attack five years ago. He tried Chantix and it didn't work for him at all. It's not even been an option for me since I'm intolerant to seratonin reuptake inhibitors. Thank goodness for whoever invented electronic cigarettes!

I hope that all of you who are quitting will keep posting and those with success stories will share them as well. We make an excellent support group for each other.

Hugs to you all!

Deb

[AmyC]

Congrats on quitting, Deb.. hope you're feeling better and the docs can help you..

I quit in October of last year.. the freedom aspect alone was worth it. It's nice to be without the ball and chain of a habit like that.. and now I have more money to spend at the craft stores!

[Roxxie]

DEB!

Way to go Steve!

[MerriMagic]

AWESOME!!!

That is so wonderful, Steve! WOOT! What a wonderful thing to hear!

[Scotty]

Congratulations - what a difficult thing you've managed to do!

[Mandystar]

Here it is, a year later, but some things do not change. I just happened upon this forum searching for "Peggi's Orchid" that Holly referred me to to see what she did for moss (never did find this.)

Anyway, I smoked from when I was 15 (? -- maybe earlier, who can remember that far back?) I never saw my parents without a cigarette in their hands, so that should tell you something.

To make a long story a bit shorter, I stopped smoking in June 2011. Why did I stop? I loved to smoke. I got great pleasure from it. I also was having difficulty breathing. For some 55 years I joked that breathing was highly overrated anyway. Yeah. Sure. Until you can't. Since I stopped smoking my ability to breathe has gotten worse -- not better. That's not to say that going back to smoking will ease anything. I also started those e-cigarettes. STOP KIDDING YOURSELVES. Has no tar? No chemicals? BS! It has nicotine, which is the addictive ingredient!!!!!!!!! I was still having problems and decided to stop those e-cigarettes as well (hey, if I could stop smoking, I could do anything, right?). Felt better within a couple of days. Oh, and the nodules showing on my x-ray and CT scan have disappeared!

However, lucky me to find this hobby, because I cannot walk from one room to another without gasping for breath. Maybe it'll get better, maybe it won't. Everyone says it takes a year for your lungs to regain what capacity they can. We'll see.

I know, they say there's nothing as bad as a reformed smoker, but believe me, this is not pretty. I'm just waiting to speak to my doctor about having oxygen here in the house for the times it gets really bad.

I surely hope that in the time since your last posts you've been as diligent about not smoking as you sounded then.

[jas]

Way to go! Congrats on being a non-smoker now, it is the best gift you could have given yourself! It's been 20 years for me, so glad i quit.

[SallyG]

Good for you, EVERYONE! My husband has, for the last 2 months, been deathly ill after another bout of copd put him in the hospital, where he contracted sepsis and MRSA. He's finally recuperating and getting back on his feet, but he was not expected to live at one point! All because of cigarettes!!! He supposedly stopped a year ago, but had been sneaking smokes. I believe this episode sufficiently scared him enough to never want another cigarette again!! If not, he knows I will tear him limb from limb if I ever see or suspect him of smoking again!!

I stopped myself a year ago and really had no problem going cold turkey...but I think seeing what he was going through with his health made it easier to look at cigarettes and wonder why in the world I wanted to deliberately inhale smoke so I could ruin my lungs!! I had smoked since I was 17 and had been inspired by the old Virginia Slims ads to try smoking!! They made it seem so glamorous!!