Jean Thank you for this discussion. As an old newbie (I can't tell you how many times I quit and came back) the support here has made all the difference! Reading these posts has made me see (really see) that quitting is a CHOICE! So many times when I went back to smoking I always had an excuse it was never MY choice. It was always stress, or anger. Now with this quit and being on this site as much as possible I see that I make a choice everyday to say no. And for me thats all it is. I get very dicouraged too when I see people with long time quits go back and in the past that used to send me back to smoking too. I mean what was the point? And the cycle would begin all over again. But this quit I said no more. If I can go 1 day without smoking I can go forever. Everyone here says you have to want to quit more than you want to smoke and that is so true. But I wouldn't have learned that lesson with out messing up a few times. My hope is that those who go back to smoking will be learning. And each time they learn they will get stronger in their resolve and one day (like me) they will say enough and quit for good. Thanks for listening, ~Valic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]5/24/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 4 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 20 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $21.20 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 38 [B]Seconds:[/B] 19

Jean YOU DON'T CRINGE! me xx [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 293 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,446 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �1,538.25 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 57 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 50 [B]Seconds:[/B] 26

[color=Purple]Thank you Mercy and BFS :) Now I feel better.. no longer cringing. I want to thank you both for your insight in the posts that you have both written. As usual, I keep picking up little pieces of knowledge here and there that has so greatly helped me during my quit. I would be a completely lost soul without people like you and it would be certain that I would not have come this far in my journey. ((((((((hugs))))))) to all ... and wishing everyone a most wonderful, smoke free weekend ! Jean [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]4/4/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 52 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,300 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $533.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 5 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 21 [B]Seconds:[/B] 8

Jean...((((huggs)))))) Your post was great!! Every person hear would be lieing if they said they didn't feel and fear the same thing. You just had the guts to express it!! And like butterfly said..... if we've all been worried and thinking it secretly...then we needed to meet it head on. Actually.... it has been brought up before. Everyone seems to be afraid to tackle it...and now we have. It is one of those things where you say...."It is what it is" You don't smoke.... no matter what day it is. All those posts showed us that you can pick up a cigarette anytime you want. That means on day 8 of our quits or day 188 of our quits. In each case we say "NO"!! For sure it is easier to say "NO" on day 188......but either way, the choice is still ours individually. I mean... is it any easier dieting? How many people succesfully lose lots of weight and gain it all back (and then some). They do it over and over again. They become YOYO dieters. Some of us tend to be yoyo quiters. I was QUEEN YOYO!! I learned I HAD TO BREAK THE CYCLE. I HAD TO NEVER SMOKE AGAIN...I HAD TO SAY NO. Quiting is mostly about me, myself and I. Behavior changes are really life style changes!! You change to improve life and gain life. This is one of the best life style changes we could have made. Without this change, we put off all the other healthy changes, like eating better, exercise and weight control. Smoking gave us a defeated attitude. Who cared about being the best we could be when we were reminded every half hour or more that we are pumping cancer causing chemicals into our bodies. Before I quit I would look at the organic food section and say someday I am going to eat real healthy. What that "someday" really meant was..."when I quit smoking I will eat healty." Seriously, how could I spend extra money on good food without pesticides when I wolfed down 20 pesticide chemical cocktails each day. Great topic......and we are all doing GREAT!! (oh butterfly...you made me blush :blush:) Your stats make me faint!! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]1/21/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 125 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,500 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $558.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 16 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 40 [B]Seconds:[/B] 31

Jean, don't apologize... you've done NOTHING wrong! If anything, you've helped many of us sort out some things that needed to be sorted out. Mercy, you have such wisdom!!! I couldn't have said it better! I really hope that every single person on this site reads every word of your post, whether they agree with it or not! Your words speak volumes! Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]6/17/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 708 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 17,700 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2,924.04 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 49 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 3 [B]Seconds:[/B] 53

Jean, just shows how on-edge this quit gets... he he ! oooeeee... this post makes for some good reading, give it heaps everyone. Peace & Love from the other side of the world.. Oh Yeah, Congrats on them 52 hard earned days jean :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]1/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 875 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 21,875 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $5,687.50 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 125 [B]Hrs:[/B] 2 [B]Mins:[/B] 3 [B]Seconds:[/B] 5

[color=Purple]I feel I need to apologize for expressing a thought about how I was feeling at 'that' particular moment. I never thought I'd be causing so much controversy. I'm really sorry if that's what I've done. I read some of the posts after I started this thread and I gained so much from each posting that helped me to sort out my own quit, my own thoughts about other's falling etc. and then.. oh my goodness just now I log on and I see somewhat of a mess. Sorry folks... *cringing* Jean [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]4/4/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 52 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,300 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $533.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 5 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 47 [B]Seconds:[/B] 31

I'm sorry I caught this late. (where have I been?) I really feel I'd like to say something. First.......let's remember it is all about support. We are a support group...not a police group. As far as I can see, there is TONS OF SUPPORT HERE! Never would I be where I am now, without people telling me..."great job and we're here for you." Next....I don't want to be afraid to ask for support or fear weighing my words at the expense of someones quit. Next......please remember..........IT IS ALL RELATIVE. To Phil, Healer, Martha and Butterfly swimmer I look like a newbie!!! Their glad my 126 days is well behind them. Yet to someone with 10 or 31 days into a quit I look like an oldtimer. No matter what our stats are....if we can't come here for support, no matter what our stats say, than where do we go? Seriously...where do we go. That's pretty scary. AND...AND..AND..AND... if our quit depends on others, we're in big trouble and surely doomed. Ask yourself what you'd do if computers didn't exist tomorrow. Any quiting failures we have are really about the choice to pick up the cigarette and smoke..or not do it. We can look for an excuse to fail for any reason (including someone elses failure)!! It could be a tough day at work....and upcoming event.......an argument with a friend......a project calling out to be done AND...AND.. it could be someone with good stats that fails. Excuses are there if you want them. Don't you think..... an excuse to smoke sounds so much better than I chose to smoke???? Lets not put our load on someone elses back. We help eachother with their burdens....but each one carries his own load. (galations 6:2-5) Mercy [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]1/21/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 125 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,500 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $558.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 16 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 6 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44

Members, A lot of interesting discussion among the group. Many varied responses. This is the cycle here at the SSC. Many come and go. We help those we can and hope those who stumble come back to see us. Please keep in mind the intention of this site is to support not judge. Keep up the friendly debate. Danielle _____________________ The SSC Support Team

No more fighting, Phil. I think Healer put a perfect end to that whole mess and I, for one, will not be revisiting the subject. I'm so glad you showed up & I could see your happy unflowers before I go to bed. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]5/13/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 13 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 260 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $143.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 27 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44