I am new and the stress is raining

I am a new Quiter! I am glad I am quiting - but it sure pours on when you need the "stress free" week. My youngest is having so many heart-breaking troubles. I am having a nic-fit wanting to go out back and relax now that the boys are in bed. Thank the Lord for the stupid lozenges - they are better than the gum I tried before. I need to quit to be here for my kids! I am telling myself as I keep getting one hard report about this little kid of mine after another, "A smoke isn't going to help. Being around will help him and I am quiting so I can live long enough to bug them real good." :) My hubby still smokes and is being SO polite and helpful. He has removed everything from the house - so I won't be tempted while I am alone to cheat. :) He even refrains while I am outside with him. Thankfully, we never smoked in the house and that helps. ARGHHHH - I should have taken a vacation for this first week.

I am new and the stress is raining

Thanks for the posts! I sat next to the hubby outside to talk through all the big issues from the little one today. He asked if HE could have a smoke and I said yes. I wasn't tempted! I kept control and I didn't feel the need to cave.(I was armed with my lozenge in my mouth so my cravings where under my control!) I really needed to decompress with him tonight and I am proud to say - I kept on MY plan! I took action to keep from grabbing the pack by arming myself with my lozenge and I sat across from him out of the "wind" as to not smell nasty! My hubby is so great and wanting to help me quit. He isn't ready - but he will follow when he is. (He told me that he would have to follow me on this one but needs some mental prep time.) He has quit in the past - cold turkey! (Wish I could go that route - but it doesn't work for me.) I was why he started back up this last time. I started up and he grabbed MY pack. I guess he just follows me on his quitting. So, I guess I am now quitting for both of us. (I have tried a few times lately with no sucess - I usually make it two days.) Well, two days is about over and I am feeling confident, strong and ready for day three to come at me with whatever fire it has. I think he is waiting to see if this sticks before he commits to stopping. That is my "thinking". Well, an extra incentive for me to keep strong. I know we both need to quit and I would like to have him around longer too! Having a place to "vent" and a breath of fresh quitter air is what I need. Thanks again for your replies. Just getting the thoughts out into a blog is helpful; knowing someone is with me - that adds TONS of support that I wasn't expecting. :) YEAH! ;) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/21/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 2 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 12 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $9 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 4 [B]Seconds:[/B] 26

Tomorrow will be day 1 for this soon to be new non smoker

I am a recent quitter too! I am using the lozenge and I like it. It gives me something other than gum. I tried the patch but my skin reacted. I hope that you are doing OK with that. And yes, I hear your note to self regarding the lotion. TEEHEE. I would have done that one had I used it longer than three days. :) Good luck and keep strong. As for all the work getting done on the smoke break. . . I found I took a smoke break to get a work break. Infact, I think that is what I am supposed to do - take an actual break from work - destress and be more productive during actual working times. Don't look at missing the "power - smoking break" as a loss of producivity. Take your break to recharge you! I am giving myself permission now to take ten minutes of ME time. I am reading a great book that I wouldn't have fit into life otherwise. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/21/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 2 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 12 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $9 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 5 [B]Seconds:[/B] 9

Living with a smoker

You are a Super Star. My hubby smokes and is not quitting with me right now. It is hard to know they linger in the vacinity when you want one. I am not going cold turkey, so I am arming myself with a lozenge. Thankfully, he smokes outside ONLY. We both did. We have kids and they don't know we smoked. IE - we both were closet smokers. I couldn't imagine how difficult it is having a chain smoker while going cold turkey. Pat yourself on the back ALL THE TIME! I hope you can keep to one "smoke free" zone (a room?) when you need to flee to let the temptation go by. Is your Mom supportive of you wanting to quit? I am using the Commit Lozenge and they sent an email to give my supporter - my smoker hubby. This is one of the points in the letter giving him ideas to help me and I hope you could use something in it to give to your Mom in helping you. 8. You may feel a bit awkward that she is stopping when you aren't. This is natural. Ask her to share with you why she is committed to stopping. This will reinforce your commitment to help her succeed. Feel good about supporting her. Helping her to give up cigarettes is a great gift. [i]Text[/i] I sure hope your Mom may see a way to encourage and not feel bad about her smoking while she does. Many prayers for you on this one.

Talking it out to try to make sense of it all...

Butterfly, I encourage you to keep on your quest to keep with the quit and to become that which your name reminds me. Part of your name is butterfly - you are in the cocoon stage right now. It is lonely. You are learning to become a butterfly instead of a smoking caterpillar. (That makes me think of Alice in Wonderland.) In this lonely time, you get to reflect on what you are becoming. Your quit and becoming a healthy new you came just in the right time of your life. I know you lost your job and had other bad things you mentioned happen and now you are associating the quit with "bad". You are being prepared to become a butterfly. You mentioned that you are involved at church. Well, as one that is HIGHLY involved at church and in ministries, I know that God moves people in big ways, as they become butterflies. As for friends, you are right about needing to ask and tell people. I encourage you to ask someone to go for a coffee or to a movie with you. I made a "major" move years ago from CA to PA one week after my mother died of cancer. Talk about lonely. I was not near a soul that could offer any help. It was COLD in PA when I moved there. As it warmed up, I went outside. As it got humid, I walked into a little store down the block and asked if I could hang out for 20 minutes to cool off. (I had no AC at my house and a 20 month old.) We browsed and I began to chat with the owner. I made a point to stop by and visit her and it turned out: she had just lost her mother; she lived in PA all her life and had NO family and very few friends since she left her big corporate job. No friends; just like me. After my time in PA, we moved again. Yes another place with no friends. I need friends too. I actually prayed this time for a friend with two kids the ages of my kids. I kept running into one woman in weird places and I had seen her at MOPs (a group for preschooler Moms). I finally pulled up my courage, walked over to her, and said, "I keep praying for a friend with kids my kids� ages. You keep showing up and I think God wants us to be friends." I figured she was going to RUN from the weird crazy lady. Instead, he eyes filled with tears and she told me she would love to be my friend. She didn't have any friends here either. 4 years later - we are still best

Almost a year and craving again.

Don't forget why you stopped. Remember how cruddy you felt before you quit? I am feeling junky right now. Coughing up a lung and a half trying to clean them out. GAG! I have spent most my life dealing with babies and preschooler. IE the closet smoking part. I never smoked until night - once they were in bed for the night. I dealt with kids all day long and knew that I couldn't stink or they would know. Who wants some ashtray watching their kid? Kids are the most stressful things. First they need all of you. Then once you are used to that they don't need you. Then they are going crazy at school and all those issues. I understand them making you want one. Preschoolers and babies are the hardest and the best at the same time. Remember, your baby will be safe in the crib (even if crying) for two minutes for you to close yourself in your room and wash your face with cold water. YUP! Cold water. It will totally zap you back into feeling a bit more "awake", "up", with it. Then go and get the baby. Preschoolers - remember there is nothing more fun than the tupperware! I used to pull it out and let my REALLY tough - too active - now ADHD toddler to task of putting the lids on. He would actually sit there and let me SIT. By the way - give up on the whole "perfect house" thing. You have preschoolers and they didn't read the manual. Sorry to hear that hubby still smokes. Mine does too - but I don't want cancer and I know I would be walking that way if I wasn't quit. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/21/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 5 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 36 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $6.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 2 [B]Seconds:[/B] 54

I AM AT THE BIG 5-0!!!

Yeah! Go Chicken Go!!! I am at 44 and chasing you fast! 50 is great! YEAH another Knight to kick BUTT!!! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/21/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 44 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 264 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $59.4 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 3 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 52 [B]Seconds:[/B] 37

How can this be?

GO KIMI GO!!! Totally great to be chasing you! Go for it!

04/10/2006 Stats Parade

Don't worry chickenstix - I am last now! BUT I am and always shall be a quitter! I AM A BIG OLD QUITTER! and loving it!!! BTW - I changed my name - closet smoker no mor is Knight closet SNM. :) I like being a KNIGHT!! KNIGHTS ROCK!!!! :p [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/21/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 50 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 304 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $67.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 13

Any Knights hitting 50 with me tomorrow?

Thank you all - I am VERY excited for it. YEAH Island!!! WE DID IT!!! Yeah and Happy 50 day for us both. We are totally going to the beach together Island - we can make it. All others - thanks for the encouragements. YEAH to all those Knights following the journey to 50 - the speech you get to make is fun. :) I have a whole, "I want to thank . . . " speech ready to go for the beach and I am SO there. Go everyone! We all are the biggest group of quitters ever! (I laugh at how that sounds to an outside.) Go Knights GO! ;p [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/21/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 50 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 304 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $67.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 23 [B]Seconds:[/B] 32