THE SLIPPING GAME CONT'D

I posted this a long time ago after my darling bride slipped for the second time. It was in response to the same cycle of slipping that has the boards buzzing this week. "For many personal reasons I was not going to respond to this thread. For those of you who are extremely close to me know the difficulties I have had with Pete and her inability to maintain a quit. She has twice (2 dam times) blown a 5 (five dam months) quit. Did this affect me? Well knowing that it is fatal for her to keep on smoking with her acute COPD, wondering when the coughing spells were going to cause a heart attack, wondering how much longer in life I had to share with her here on earth. Naw it doesn�t bother me. What does bother me is some of the posts that I read here on the SSC. I agree and disagree with all of you. I see a lot of subjective as well as syllogistic reasoning being applied to this argument. Black and white with not much grey allowed. Thank goodness for moderation. I personally believe that every member of this site is sincere and well meaning and not the kind of person that is hurtful. The process of withdrawing from nicotine addiction is a lonely and very personal experience. All the support in the world will not relieve the pain and thought process we all must go through. Some of us have it easier than others. Some of you will mature in your quits and the longer you go without smoking the more you will mellow out and become less critical and more supportive. If you think Golferman can dish out tough love, you should have read some of my posts way back before I grew up in my quit. I have replaced anger with compassion. Empathy for sympathy, understanding for logic. Writing this is very difficult for me as I have only quit once after smoking non stop for 58 years; it started to help my wife quit and ended up being my very own - the hell with anyone else- quit and that is the way it is today. I heard from a very dear friend who I share e-mail with and was informed this morning that in a drunken stupor a 500 day quit went out the door. My god I cannot begin to accept this (yet). My friend was so strong yet in a moment of weakness was back smoking. Yes Mary Jane it can happen to you and at any time in your waking moments. Can we preven

A TRIBUTE TO YOU

What a fantastic response to my post proclaiming 400 days quit, thank all of you for your kindness and tribute; I am deeply humbled by your responses. As you grow in your quit and start to realize that the old quit meter is moving right along and gaining speed you also begin to realize how important you are becoming to the members and how you helped someone to save their quit. My greatest rewards are not my personal achievements with the quit but by YOURS. I am so thrilled to see you reach a milestone; I really share your pride in that accomplishment. Every time I see someone hit �the beach� a big grin goes on my face. What a feeling that is. I am just now beginning to fully appreciate my mentors who were there when I needed them. Yes they have a big grin on their faces as they read this and as well they should. My daddy always told me �son the more you give the more you will get�. I didn�t fully understand all that until I got to the SSC, now my cup runs over ten fold. This is a passing of the guard so to speak I am going to be a little less active on the site and spend some time writing, fishing and playing a round of golf or two. Roxanne is doing well with her quit and I feel that she will win this time. I will still have to have my coffee and a SSC each morning so I can see how everyone is doing and I will post every now and then. Again, I thank all of you please keep the faith and quit. Duffis [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/13/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 401 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 12,049 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1030.57 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 80 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 53 [B]Seconds:[/B] 21

one year for JJ

JJ congratulations!!!. Welcome to the VIP Club home of the one year plus quitters. It sure has been a long bumpy road but here you are; outstanding accomplishment for sure. Please reward yourself big time you sure have earned it. Duffis :) duffis's Quit Stats Since Sunday, February 13, 2005, I've been smoke-free for: 1 Year(s), 39 Days, 18 Hours, 51 Minutes, 15 Seconds. I have saved $1,696.80 by not smoking 12142 cigarettes. By not smoking I have added 87 Days, 16 Hours, 35 Minutes, 16 seconds. to my life expectancy.

ONE YEAR TODAY

Blowing a horn for your amazing quit. One year, what an outstanding achievement that is. Hope you have a big reward in store for yourself you sure have earned it. Welcome to the VIP Club home of the one year quitters. Duffis :) duffis's Quit Stats Since Sunday, February 13, 2005, I've been smoke-free for: 1 Year(s), 39 Days, 18 Hours, 54 Minutes, 6 Seconds. I have saved $1,696.80 by not smoking 12142 cigarettes. By not smoking I have added 87 Days, 16 Hours, 35 Minutes, 52 seconds. to my life expectancy.

THE VIP CLUB

Come on everyone wake up long enough to welcome two new members JJ and Jemma. WOW 1 year quit!! Duffis

I am sooo MAD!

WOW you did have a day of it. You are in hell week and the nicotine is just about worked its way out of your system however you are still in the "going through hell" process. That explains why you are so pissed off, not necessarly at any one thing. Murphys law generally applies during this stage of the quit. A month from now you will be able to,in a very calm matter,drop kick those muts into the next county and smile at your neighbors. Be patient with your self, it is ok to get pissed off if that is what it takes, just don't give in and light up a smoke. Next week will be easier and each and every week will get more manageable. The great thing about this site is that you can come here and scream your head off and everyone just listens and offers to help where they can. We have all been there :) I hope to see more of you and congratulations on your 4 days quit and the decision to beat this terrible addiction. Kindest to you Duffis duffis's Quit Stats Since Sunday, February 13, 2005, I've been smoke-free for: 1 Year(s), 39 Days, 19 Hours, 9 Minutes, 52 Seconds. I have saved $1,696.80 by not smoking 12144 cigarettes. By not smoking I have added 87 Days, 16 Hours, 39 Minutes, 17 seconds. to my life expectancy.

03/27/2006 STATS PARADE

Wow another Monday and time to parade those stats around, please join me. Hope ya all have a great smoke free week. Duffis

I'M WINNING

Tried to sneak one by me now that you have your own computer!! Hey I'm very proud of you and hope you win this war. Duffis

03/27/2006 STATS PARADE

Oops forgot my stats!! duffis's Quit Stats Since Sunday, February 13, 2005, I've been smoke-free for: 1 Year(s), 42 Days, 7 Hours, 10 Minutes, 43 Seconds. I have saved $1,709.40 by not smoking 12219 cigarettes. By not smoking I have added 88 Days, 5 Hours, 39 Minutes, 22 seconds. to my life expectancy.

A REAL QUIT STORY

Like Golferman I occasionally run into a worth while post on another site. This one struck me as poetic, truthful and very well written. This is from a gentleman who quit in 2002, wrote this at 33 months quit and is still quit today. I hope you enjoy. "The entire universe trembled as I put out my final cigarette. Well, it might have, but I was too busy listening to my junky bluster to notice. �If you hurry, you can get to the store buy a pack and smoke until midnight.� �You are not really serious are you?� �You cannot toss your ashtray, it is wasteful.� �At least roll up the butts and have one more smoke before you quit.� I discovered a quit strategy that night that worked very well, I went to bed. We have all heard some version of those voices, but the one that scared me the most was the one that said, �there is no life without smoking. You will be changed, everything will change.� I wanted change, yet feared what might happen. Now after 33 months, I look back and wonder what really has changed? Besides the obvious, clean air, better health, clean teeth, has anything changed? I am still in the same house, the same job, and the same town. I fought depression, gained weight, lost weight, gained weight, all the things I had dealt with before quitting, so what was different? What is different? It may seem like a question that is not very important. Yet, the answer can be the difference between staying smoke free and embracing addiction again. I am not sure if the quit is a cause, a catalyst, or just another change I have experienced in the last 33 months. What is different? I am happier now. This should perhaps be the final difference, a summation of all that is different, but it is the main reason I remain quit. I still have sad days, mad days, grumpy days, but those would have existed if I were a smoker. After getting past my quit depression, I have found myself happier more often. I react to stress and change differently now. In the past I hid my emotions and needs behind a pillar of smoke. My only support in life was a cigarette; now I whine to friends. Friends. That is a magical word. It has roots in the Old English word freon (to love) and freo (free). The meanings include: One attached to another by affection and esteem, a