Hey everyone,
I'm Sheila from Nashville. My quit began the first week of February. I had the flu or some other nasty bug that eventually gave me a touch of pnemonia. So that whole week I wasn't smoking as much as usual. On Friday, February 3, I had two cig's in the early morning hours that were fairly normal for a smoker with a bad cold. Around 9 that morning I started smoking my last cig. Lit that thing 3 times over the next three hours and could never take a hit without getting completly choked up, coughing my head off, and loosing complete ability to get a breath. I went to the doctor that afternoon. Among other things, my heart was eratic and racing, my blood oxygen level was way low, and my blood pressure was low. This prompted an EKG, which had horrible results. They sent me across the hallway to a cardiologist, saying that I may have some heart damage/disease from smoking. The cardiologist said that my heart may be under huge stress from the pnemonia, but then again, maybe some damage from the years of smoking, he even put me on the one a day aspirin regimine just in case I should have a heart attack. Also we would need more test and follow up after the pnemonia clears. I'm 36 years old and had that denial thinking of this shouldn't be happening to someone my age. Well, they definitly had my attention that day when they told me I had to quit smoking. I followed up with the heart doc on Valentines Day and after another EKG, he says there is no need to be concerned about my heart right now, must have been the pnemonia making things appear so bad. Maybe they were just doing their job or maybe they exaggerated a bit to scare me into the quit. I don't really care at this point, it worked, and I have no intention of giving up my quit just because I don't necessarily have to quit.
I had set my quit date to February 4, the first full day of quit for me, but I started celebrating yesterday afternoon knowing that it had been 2 full weeks smoke free. It's a great feeling to be here: here at this point in my quit and here at this site for support.
Smoke-freeness to all!
Sheila
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/4/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 14
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 429
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $70
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B]