Hey Kathleen,
I can't give advice, but I can tell you what's worked for me.
Welcome!
I'm using patches. I've tried the cold turkey thing and it didn't work for me, but if you can pull it off, I think it's probably better. I chose patches because they release nicotine at a fairly constant level. I figured if I used gum or lozenges I'd use them like cigarettes.
There are so many other ingredients in cigarettes that are probably addictive, plus the psychological addiction, that I figured I'd tackle one thing at a time.
That has worked for me well so far. I'm about to go to step 3. What has worked even better is talking to people here. Write, write, write. It keeps your hands and mind busy, and reinforces your quit. And Ms. Alohakeia knows what she's talking about! Make sure you use the workbook here. Just keep reaching out, just keep riding the cravings out (they are actually very short in length-- just powerful), and just keep writing.
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B]11/6/2007
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 28
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 672
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $196.56
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 33 [B]Seconds:[/B] 6