Philip, Believe me I know where you're coming from. At weekends, I'm in the garden tending to my 'rewards', a garden now so full of plants that there is barely room for any more, an aching back and blistered hands from overdoing the work and an empty wallet from overspending at the garden centre. At times recently, I've felt that I've reached some sort of plateau - a place where I can look back at my quit and realise that yes, I do feel a lot better and happy that I am free of nicotene, but its almost as if progress has stopped now. So I thought, 'if this is the case - if this is as good as it gets why bother carrying on (with the quit)' So I summoned the Elders - the VIP Club - for advice. I had several replies (see 'A Question for the VIP Club' thread), each conveying the same message. As one of them wrote 'the change is so gradual that it is almost inperceptable', but all of them urged me to stay quit as it would be worth it. I now know that the plateau is as much of an illusion as is the world being flat. We will continue to climb and one day be able to look back at all we have achieved. And smile. And be proud. Stay quit RD. Mr Ed :8|: [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/13/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 90 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,705 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �675 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 15 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 55 [B]Seconds:[/B] 41

Dear Phillip Way to go on 85 days!! WooooHOOOO! Good luck on the lung tests and let us know how those tests go! Feel good taking those tests....knowing you are a NONsmoker! Ohhh and here is what freedom from the demon feels like..... [IMG]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f209/nyr4cup/beagle2.gif[/IMG] [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/30/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 105 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,581 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $315 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 11 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 58 [B]Seconds:[/B] 56

Hi Phillip - You are such a blessing...and I know I speak for all of us in saying that to you. Enjoy each day, dear one. Blessings and Light- Healer [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/5/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 70 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,466 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $325.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 9 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 19 [B]Seconds:[/B] 27

Phillip, I'm so thankful that you have quit, and I know that you are also. Just recently I had to go through many tests for my heart and lungs. I had smoked for 50+ years, and I was really scared of what I had done to my body. Thank God there was nothing wrong with either one. But discovered I am having panic attacks. I have to take medications for them as needed. It helps if I catch them in time. I know that we all get impatient wanting our bodies to function like they once did. It will take time for our bodies to heal, and you much younger than I will heal more quickly. Phillip, just keep looking to the future and what it holds for you... Thanks for posting and congratulations on being such a positive quitter. We will see you at the beach on May 28th... Be blessed, SUNSHINE [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/7/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 126 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,153 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $441 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 18 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 10

Love those long eared hound dogs!!!!!! My meter just roles around. Despite a trying day pounding the streets, looking for space. I am just stressed enough that smoking is not on the radar (takes up to much time imagining). My mouth is very metallic and my nose is super sensitive and it is great because if someone has been smoking in their fancy schmancy marble lobby I can smell it and it is a great alarm! Or if the real estate agent has grabbed a smoke in the car on the way to meet me it can really reak. My nose is sensitive today. I imagine like my beagles very sensitive nose. My mind will occasionally drift to the thought of a smoke and I take a few deep breaths, toffee candy has become my latest and greatest friend, I have to really chew and it occupies my mouth with intensity for a couple of minutes. I also am very grateful for the honesty of the posts here, BFS the pictures of your family sick are hard and they help me, your honesty has helped me. Sunflower, the same. Fish I love the recipe. Thanks everyone for a great day. Cheers all Peace Phillip :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 87 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,758 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $652.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 14 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 55 [B]Seconds:[/B] 20

Hello! So tgis is what 85 days feels like. I know I have been busy busy busy and I don't think so much about smoking any more. There are worries about what I done did to myself. I have to live with the smokers lung I've created. I have been having breathing problems, shortness of breath. Now a Pulmonary Function Test, we'll see what happens. I hope it is just healing that needs to be done and nothing more serious. I am going back to swimming, not pushing as hard, not working out so rapidly and learning to control my breath rate. Wow, tell me 5 months ago that I would be thinking and conscious about any function of my body I would have been "like yeah right" and I am slowly slowly beginning to care for and love this body more each day. It and my lungs and my heart sure have to do a lot every day. Might as well celebrate and love and care for them! So here we go 12 weeks. 85 days soon will be a 1/4 of a year. How time flys. Thanks all for being there. Sorry I am so sporadic right now and I get here when I can. Stay strong to all you who have quit, Courage and strength wished to you that are contemplating and kudos to those of you who have been so wise and have stayed quit and offered your strength and wisom here in this forum. Blessings, Love and Peace Phillip :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 85 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,713 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $637.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 13 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 6 [B]Seconds:[/B] 23

Thank You all for your responses. I really do rejoice every day. Rejoice in the fact that I don't smoke any more. Rejoice that I have so much more time to do the things I love. I spend so much less time stewing and contemplating and smoking and plotting and smoking, (man that was such a time robber). I really get to concentrate more on actually doing, rather that the whole thing of standing back and plotting. Last night I went to a business gathering of about 25 people, all colleauges, I got to be part of the gathering, party all night. I didn't have to sneak out to puff away and then go stealthily wash my hands, brush my teeth and hope that I didn't reak of smoke. I got to be part of a whole conversation from beginning to end. At one point someone asked how long it had been and I replied 85 days and they all clapped and cheered. I was surprised, embarrased, that any one would notice. I was also surprised that another person came to me and quietly said that they had quit and that they were six days in. This person was worried about being bearish and hostile, I hope that I was able to offer enough support. The two of us shared about how tough the first week is and how much easier it gets over time. I hope I was of service to this person, I hope that they will come here. I know for me that the SSC, this 24/7 full time on line group therapy has helped, the support of others has really helped and the care and support that I might be able to give to those new to the journey is a huge help. What fun it is to be a nonsmoker. I never new that it would be like this. Yes there are all kinds of health concerns. What can I say am a 49 year old male who has been pretty abusive of his body. I would of had these or other concerns very similar, it is a question of age and habit. What I am trying to say is that I would be having all of the issues I have now, or other issues whether I smoked or didn't, just as if I smoke it will not take the issues away or change them. In fact from where I sit in this moment the issues I have would be worse if I smoked. So why not just go out and fill the garden, wallow in the smell of flashy bulbs and glorious spring blooms. Take the bike and go for a spin by the lake. Do all the things that I didn't do, in fact deprived myself of

Great stuff Phillip, just think about the future. We would all go mad if we thought too much about what we did or didn't do in the past, it's only boring peeps who look at the past with smugness!! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/6/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 97 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,166 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �242.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 17 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 53 [B]Seconds:[/B] 6

Well said Phillip, you are one hell of a guy! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/6/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 97 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,172 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �242.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 17 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 5 [B]Seconds:[/B] 47

85 days is amazing Riverdale Man [IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/cuddlebug230/hotstuff.gif[/IMG] It wont be long and you will be on the beach Cuddles It's better to be a non-smoker with an occasional desire for a cig than a smoker with a constant desire to quit...... [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/22/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 23 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 465 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $82.8 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 11