[font=Comic Sans MS]Hi Cheyrl :-)[/font] Somehow I knew it wouldn't take too long for someone to see my post and reply. you said " Most of us know, but are just to afraid that we will jinx it to say it outloud" Actually I think that person jinxed themself right out of the shoot. I truly believe... that it is... what each individual believes that makes all the difference. Such as.. I said... that feeling I have that others most likely call a craving, isn't a craving at all. It's the healing. Just like and insision, or a bad sunburn starts to itch when it starts to heal. Personally, I think this nicotine healing is better than healing from Sunburn itch... been there too.. lol With the patch, I was able to experience things.. and the way things will be without the smoking... feeling totaly stress free. I was able to get a preview... to how just sitting, relaxing, and having a simple converstation.. what it was going to be like... AND I LOVED IT !!!!!! I don't want ring worm.... I don't want a tape worm.... I don't want cooties... lolol and I don't want the nicotine in my body anymore. So every time I find my eyebrows going up.... I think... Oh Thank God...... there goes one more inch of that nasty worm.... Makes it real easy to realize... that aint no craving !

Hey Shevie :) Yup got pissed ! And yup... I guess it is grand... So wonderful how this worked out... Well.. not so wonderful that I came so very close to burying my husband... But God works in strange ways sometimes.. Last year I was the one looking for my husband support and encouragement and couldn't get it... Now it's the other way around... strange... Can't say... I am any better for being able to do this.. God must have had it worked out for both of us... I don't care what it is that I feel here and there... You said ""Embrace these feelings because they are signs of healing."" EXACTLY! I wish everyone here today,,, and who comes along tomorrow and the days to come... could feel it and think of it this way. It's not a craving... it's another cleaning session... and it feels soooo goooood after each cleaning... Well it's off to bed for me.... something else that has improved.I don't cough as soon as I try to lay down... it feels so good to lay there so comfortably.... I do think I will however be an advocate of the patch . I see no reason now that I have come this far... for anyone to be a cold turkey Myrter. At the same time... I don't think it serves a purpose to stay on the patch... more than 2 weeks tops... Personally I used about 9 of the patches in the box. 9 days was more than long enough to see my life without smoking.. I passed the point of need to inhale. To feel it... going into my lungs. I passed the point of having to have to have something stuck between my fingers... The patch took care of all of that. It just doesn't take care of the nicotine. I wish I had done this last year. I really couldn't believe it... I was so afraid last week to step outside for fear I would have to talk to my neighbor.... so I waited until, I thought he had gone inside... my mistake.. Well there he is... walking over... odd.. he started talking, I sat in my custome made rocker.... and forgot all about it.... I just sat there... and talked... and it felt good. My arm wasn't falling off. I wasn't bouncing off my toes.... It was wonderful.. so the actuall motion habit... wasn't an issue... I only had ONE issue... the nicotine. I can deal with one issue... But Mostly... I prayed and prayed and I prayed... I must have pr

AND I CAN'T FORGET "Out of Focus1" Do any of you remember me from last year? My intro post went 7/15/2005 3:31 PM Posts: 15 Joined: 7/15/2005 207034 Hello Everyone, This is my first post.... and my greatest moment of fear that I will fail myself. I haven't bought a pack of cigarettes since July 3rd...... And I think if I fail this time I will never try again.. Well, that was a almost whole year ago. Well,I didn't make. I fell right on my face when that party started. Ah but so much can change in a year. Actually a lot can change in an instant. First I want to say, the reason for my disappearance, was that my computer fried... Then so much time had passed and I was fully back to smoking that there seemed to point in trying to find this group again. Besides I couldn't remember the name of the site. It has taken me several days of searching the net... before I found it again. I new this was the place when I saw the "My Glove Compartment" Last month my husband had a triple bypass. He lives but by the Grace of God and nothing more. He was one breath from a Massive heart attack. Dr's were amazed he didn't. So life has changed at my house. There is NO Smoking. God has a way of getting your attention sooner or later. I knew that this time .. for both our sakes, failure was not an option. If I loved my husband, then I have to do my part to insure success. Not just for myself, or himself, but for both of us as One. We have to be as one to succeed. My husband was a little over 2 weeks in the hospital. So he was well passed the worst days.. Myself.... Well..I knew what I had to do. About 3 days before his release I did buy the 24 hour patch. I was amazed.. in awwww as to how well it worked. But then again, I wasn't around anyone who was smoking either. But I was calm.. relaxed, no anxiety, NO nightmares etc.... Fantastic. Seemed too easy. I cut the patch in half... used half a patch for 4 days... and out of the blue.... I just got PISSED... LOLOL Took the thing off and decided I wanted the nicotine out of my system. What the patch showed me, was that I certainly could sit and have social conversation without a cig.. Etc. etc. The with-drawl isn't so bad.. But I think it's because of my mindset, a

Hi Luna, Thanks for the welcome back... Husband is doing much better... He is not however doing things the way he is supposed to.. such as NO bending over.. grrrrrrr and a few other things he shouldn't... but he is able, beit the right or wrong way, get in and out of bed... and I have been able to go upstairs now and sleep where things are more quite. Resolute? You betcha... ;-)

Good Morning... Well, I think my mindset is pretty strong and very decided ... there will be no tough times. Everything I have done as been by my own dicision. My choice. Years ago it was my choice to smoke. Now it is my choice not to. It didn't take long to be able to laugh again without my laugh having to be surpressed or held back.... so that I wouldn't cough. It didn't take long for my singing voice to benefit. I have been a singer most of my life. I can't tell you how much that means to me. Free to fully laugh. Free to fully sing. Two things that are almost as important as the need of and the need to pray.

Thanks for the good words.... Don't know that I can take any credit... or atleast not all of it. But I am pleased. Maybe even more surprised. Myself... right now I don't need any extra reward. It was reward enough just to get the blessing that enabled me to stop. The only odd thing happening is some rather strong heart palpitaions since I stopped. Can't be the coffee, as I only drink one cup a day now... and have been for the last month. If these palpitations don't let up soon I'll make an appointment for a check up. Husband is doing much better. :-) Maybe too much better... I am about to find him his own apt. LOLOL I told him he had better get back to work soon, as he can't move in here full Time ! ROFLMBO

Hi,,, Gee isn't that something... how sad it was for us ... that we couldn't even enjoy something as sweet as a good laugh !!!

Hey Rose, So glad to see that you are back with it and that it is going so well. I am sorry that it took your husband being flat out with surgery, but we each have our trigger moment. It is not to early to know that your quit is going to stick. Most of us know, but are just to afraid that we will jinx it to say it outloud. Lets see if you want to find most of the group, just look under the relapsing forum and look for 6-12 group. Although some of us are out of there and on to the villas in the one year section. I am going to run in there and let them know that you are here. So hang in there and you will hear from all of them soon. Sincere desire and prayer can accomplish anything. I just keep reminding myself that I have not yet resisted unto death. Keep writing...... Cheryl [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/4/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 339 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,158 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $966.15 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 44 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 52 [B]Seconds:[/B] 5

Good morning, Rose. For me, the ablility to laugh again was one of the greatest benefits of quitting. When I smoked I couldn't get past the first "Ha" without breaking into a hacking fit. Laughing was so difficult it took much of the joy out of life. After all, what's the point of being happy if you can't laugh? But now I laugh long and hard, maybe too much so at times but I have a lot of catching up to do. :) Sometimes I have still ended up hacking, but that's because I laughed so hard for so long I literally ran out of air. :8o: Found I needed to learn how to breath while laughing. That doesn't happen to much anymore; just on an occasional Monday night during Jay Leno's Headlines segment. Being quit is so awesome once you get past the hard part. ;) Shevie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 382 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,649 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1451.6 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 71 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 19 [B]Seconds:[/B] 2

Hi, Rose!!! :) :) :) Welcome back! (((((HUG))))) I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's problems. Know that you are both in my prayers. You got pissed! Ain't that grand!?!? What a great way to go into a quit - pissed off at nicotine. I love it! :) OK, here's some info. If you've been off the patch for over 3 days, then the nicotine is out of your system. What you're feeling is your brain and body reacting to the absence of something they've lived with for years. It isn't nicotine, it's the lack of nicotine. That in itself is a wonderful thing. Embrace these feelings because they are signs of healing. For a better explanation, read my [url=http://www.stopsmokingcenter.net/support/viewmessages.aspx?topic=24919&forum=1]Rewards, nicotine, and the brain[/url] thread. I am so glad you're back, Rose. This is wonderful. Shevie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 381 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,639 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1447.8 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 71 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 8 [B]Seconds:[/B] 15