Was it worth it?

I�m just back home from an amazing experience in the US. I visited friends there and also took in a meeting with Joe(Golferman) and Lydia(UFO), as well as meeting up with more quitters from longer ago. Joe wrote about our meeting in another post on this forum. People commented on how this sort of thing humanises a quit!....It makes us realise that we are real people and not just figures on a site. At the second reunion I met 10 other quitters, with whom I have corresponded on the internet for some time. I was both very excited and a bit apprehensive as to how it would be....after all, we did not really know each other, some had been quit for 4-5 years some for less and a couple had returned to smoking. How would we all get on for a whole weekend in a hotel?! The first thing I found was that I had absolutely no surprises! Everyone was just as I had envisaged, and we all got on so well, just as we had in cyber space. There was no acrimony about the 2 who had returned to smoking....no comments were made, or, I suspect, even thought about. Some of the quitters were even sharing rooms with the still smokers! We partied long and hard, as we should have. The arrangements had been a year in the planning, and we reckoned we deserved to celebrate our reunion. There were folk from Canada, US, England and me from Scotland (living in France.) We all discussed the cost of the trip and was it worth it! The unanimous decision was it was sooooo worth it! For me it was a 2 year reward (a bit early) and I will never regret the decision to go. One of the best parts of the weekend was witnessing the tolerance exhibited. People gave and took as required and there were no arguments or disputes....just friends swapping stories and having fun supporting each other. There was no one-upmanship or criticism offered anywhere. Was it worth it! Hell yes!!! It was worth the money to go there, but much more worth the agony and anguish of the first months of my quit to make me part of something like that. I am an ex-smoker, and will always be so....During the weekend, I experienced the pain and coughing of lots of air-conditioning and smoky bars, as I have early starter Emphysema. My hotel room was allegedly a non-smoking room, but reeked of stale smoke. I als

5 Years -- Shazzammmmmmmmmmmmm

CONGRATULATIONS Bubba! I'm late as always, but just wanted to say Congrats. and thank you for all your inspiration when I quit. You must be a mentor to so many people! Have a great 5 year Celebration on Sunday!!! Love Lolly. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/25/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 650 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 22,773 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �3250 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 90 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 40 [B]Seconds:[/B] 58

Laugh lines ~ what bothers me the most

HI Shaila, Please pat yourself on the back for having the sense to quit at the age you are!!! Those lines will begin to go after you have been quit for a while....certainly they should diminish. What you should not develop are the other horrible ones ...the vertical ones around your mouth from the puckering as you held a cigarette in your mouth!!! I quit nearly 2 years ago after 40 years of smoking.....there is no remedy for my lines, but even so, they did reduce a bit after a while. Stick with your quit Shaila and you will reap so many more benefits than a reduction in lines.................how about an increase in life!!!! Way to go!!! NEVER LOOK BACK, THE FUTURE IS AHEAD!!! Lolly. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/25/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 650 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 22,773 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �3250 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 90 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 42 [B]Seconds:[/B] 10

WEEKEND PROMISE 9.1.06

Hi Hummy good friend, As always, I will be....... Smoke free forever!!! Lolly. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/25/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 645 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 22,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �3225 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 89 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 13 [B]Seconds:[/B] 35

PLEDGE

No smoking here in Carcassonne, France. Keep it going folks it only gets better!!! Love Lolly. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/25/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 645 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 22,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �3225 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 89 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 12 [B]Seconds:[/B] 52

14 Months!

Lady....WAY TO GO!!!! Oh! Yeah! Believe it folks, the freedom makes up for the pain and trials of quitting....just hang in there!!!! Lolly. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/25/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 645 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 22,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �3225 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 89 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 13 [B]Seconds:[/B] 13

TOP 5 REASON YOU QUIT!

1. For my health...I was coughing all the time. 2. To be in control again. 3. To please my grand daughter called Lolly. 4. To feel socially acceptable, instead of feeling like a leper all the time. 5. To regain some self-esteem. NEVER LOOK BACK, THE FUTURE IS AHEAD!!! Lolly. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/25/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 645 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 22,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �3225 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 89 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 14 [B]Seconds:[/B] 27

Mr Ed is 200 days tomorrow!!

Many Congratulations on 1 year smoke-free Mr Ed!!! Enjoy the FREEDOM you have given yourself, and have a great time in Latvia! NEVER LOOK BACK, THE FUTURE IS AHEAD!!! Lolly. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/25/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 644 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 22,562 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �3220 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 89 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 34 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0

Monday Morning Stats Parade Sept 11 2006

:) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/25/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 655 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 22,950 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �3275 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 91 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 30 [B]Seconds:[/B] 21

Weekend promise 08.09.2006

Absolutely no smoking here in Carcassonne, France! Lolly. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/25/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 653 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 22,881 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �3265 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 90 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 2 [B]Seconds:[/B] 25