Oh and Lady - I think your "friend" outdid mine - what a charmer but, hey, you are still on your quit and I'd imagine she's still smoking and not feeling great about how she behaved. But, you know, I don't think they mean to be cruel or insensitive (Josie) - what I really think is that they are very, very scared. They are afraid that we will succeed and they will be "left behind". I know my friend is always coughing and wheezing. She knows smoking is killing her. Her first grandson is coming up 4 now and she told me she hates it when he watches her when she smokes but she feels powerless to stop. She has "tried" before but never lasted more than a day and thinks she is a failure and that she can't ever stop. Like I said before, my quit is for me but if (when) I do it I'm hoping she might see that she can do the same. Plus my sister's promised that if I can stop for 3 months, she'll quit as well (she's smoked over 40 a day for nearly 30 years!!!).
Thanks for the tale Stoppin'. Yeah, let's be stop smoking buddies together. I'm only at day 4 though so I'll be looking for you to lead the way and not slip! You know my "friend" actually offered me a smoke today - I went outside to enjoy the sun on my break (it's been raining here for about a week solid) and she came over to me especially to see if I could be tempted. I sweetly said "No thanks. Don't you remember that I quit?" She just gave me a funny look and tried again!! AAArrrggghhh - you know she's such a nice person in so many ways but her addiction is not one of her best features. Never mind, I don't need her help to stop and in a strange way it makes me stronger ... she would be gutted to think she's helping me stay on my quit ... LOL.
And Hoss, sorry, but I don't want to think that smokers are "stinky" or horrible people - I just think they're ordinary people who are making their own choices in life - that's their right just as it is my right to stop. I don't want to become one of those self-righteous ex-smokers and I'm gonna work hard not to. Didn't you hate it when you smoked and you were given grief by non/ex smokers? Didn't it make you just want to light up double and blow it their way even more (or perhaps that's just me ... LOL!)
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/31/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 2
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 84
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $30
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 7 [B]Seconds:[/B] 48
Hey guys, we have had those ads in New Zealand since (about) the early 90's and our smoking rate has increased - especially in young women. The ads don't prove anything to me - what's the point of showing the aorta of a 30-something smoker if they don't show the aorta of a 30-something non-smoker (and maybe the aorta of a 30-something non-smoker who eats takeaways at every meal). What I mean is - the ads are pointless. We did have a drink/drive ad here which was hugely successful and it said "If you don't drink and drive, you're a bloody good friend". I think stop smoking ads would be far better served to concentrate on encouraging people to give up, letting them know it can be done and giving them the tools to help them in their quits instead of trying to scare the pants of people!! This will only stress smokers out and make them want another smoke ... LOL. Well, it's just my opinion anyway ... any thoughts?
Oh and I see people are talking prices - down under it's $9.50 for the cheapest pack of 20's and $12.50 for 25's. (Crud - I've just eaten a whole bowl of cornchips while I've been sitting here - they just taste so good!). Someone give me an advert which will stop me eating cornchips ...
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/31/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 56
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $15
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 6 [B]Seconds:[/B] 51
We were great "smoking buddies" - have worked in the same office for years, went out at every break and lunchhour to sit in the sun (or wind or rain!) and have our smokes together. When I told her I was going to stop her first words (after rolling her eyes) were "I bet you can't do it. You'll be back out here within a week." She then proceeded to tell me why she loved smoking and would never stop. I didn't say much back to her but felt my resolve strengthening. I am now on day 3 (someone tell me how to set my quit metre properly - somehow I did it when I logged onto this site but don't know how to change it!). She is ignoring me now - won't answer my emails and has made a new "smoking buddy". I feel sad for her - she feels sad for me. I want to stay on this quit so bad - not to prove her wrong but to show her it can be done. Am feeling some pretty strong craves but determined to keep on. I hope that one day she will ask me to help her stop and I pledge to be there for her when/if she does.
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/1/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 0
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 0
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $0
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0
Hey N2K - I AM very depressed (and angry, sad, grumpy, sleepy and so on)!! I see you quit when you were 41 and I'm thinking "Hey I'm a bit jealous here - I could have had another year or so". How's that for rationalisation?! But seriously thanks for your stories and support - no doubt I'll need it so much over the next few days/weeks/months. And cheap smokes in the States - somehow that depresses me too - like the government doesn't care enough about your health that they would try to price them out of your reach (see how caring our government is ... I'm getting warm fuzzies now ... LOL). I'm gonna go off and try to think of one of those cute mneumonics which will stave off the cravings ... watch this space.
Hey mehello. I'm 39 and wish I'd been as smart as you at 19. If you do this now you will never regret it and you will save yourself some of this:
+vertical lines around your lips and crows feet from squinting
+burn holes in some of your favourite clothes (or worse, in some of your friends/mothers/sisters favourite clothes!)
+smelling yucky, bad breath, smoky hair
+yellow fingers after a heavy night
+panicking when stuck in traffic or late at night when you have run out of smokes
+one day having children and teaching them how to smoke by example
+after about 20 years or so, coughing up slimy gross things in the morning (and as a bonus sometimes in the afternoon)
+if you were being chased by a homocidal axe-wielding maniac, you might not be able to run to save your life.
And these are just a drop in the ocean Mehello. Make the stand - stay away from people who try to drag you down. Hang with folks who think you're great. Good luck with your quit. Keep us posted
Hey CMR - ditto the the lip lines and I'm 39. Awful - maybe we can get some collagen when we've saved all that money from not smoking (hey without going too Lisa Rinna right?). And Brentw is right - I got into my car today and it smelled disgusting (this is my 3rd day quit). He's right, that's what we smelled like ... ewww. That straw thing someone mentioned is good too for in the car if you don't want to eat - plus it concentrates you on your breathing.
Good luck - stay strong, keep posted here - we're all going down the same road, just some of us(them) are a little further along and we can learn from everyone's experiences.
Hey Bobbie. Here's the heads up on your wife - SHE KNOWS!! If she's a non-smoker she'll sniff you out from across a crowded room. But, don't worry, your own guilt is probably worse than anything she might say to you. I've also been "secretly" smoking for the last two days - what a fool. I've just crumbled away half a packet just to get rid of them (and here in New Zealand those puppies aren't cheap! LOL). So we'll be going down that cold turkey road together buddy - let's just enjoy the fresh air on the way, yes?
[font=Arial]Text[/font]Actually, there's no "may" about it - I WILL NEED HELP. This is my third quit - the first for 18 months, then another for 2 years. Each time I went back I went straight back to about 30 a day. But I'm heading for the big 4-0 this year so it really is time to stop, and my body is reinforcing that message with wheezy pipes and shortness of breath. This site seems really good for support so I'm hoping you guys will be a little backbone for me when I'm feeling low about the whole withdrawal thing. I'll probably end up being addicted to this site instead ... LOL! So feel free to tell me your stories and how it will get better and easier for me - would love to hear from you.
Just as an aside, cigarettes in New Zealand cost $10.00 for a packet of 20 and $12.50 for 25's. I see from other people's quit metres that they don't seem to cost that much in the States - are you guys getting cheaper cancer and emphysema than we down under? That seems a little discriminatory ...
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/1/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 0
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 0
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $0
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0
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