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Hello.. I sure will need help quitting

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 22

Hi Steve.

congrats on trying to quit even though you have too.

the main thing with quitting is that you have to be behind the quit, otherwise it will be so much harder.

You will see the benefits of quitting in a very short time, at least that was the way for me.

Just think of all the benefits you will have:

the freedom-- not having to run out somewhere to have to light up.

the breathing easier

the energy you will get.

and then the money you will save.

I do hope that you will stick to it, for your sake and in case of need, just come and blurt out your feelings and cravings on the forums.

I know you can do it, but you have to be positive

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 4/18/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 60
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 1,500
Amount Saved: $480.00
Life Gained:
Days: 8 Hrs: 15 Mins: 7 Seconds: 59

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 763

Hi Steve, welcome to SSC. I think that once you make the decision to quit, that's half the battle. For the longest time I had wanted to quit, and not quit, and then quit, and not quit...etc...etc. I had quite the argument going on in my head.

I think partly fear was what kept me from doing this. When you take up this challenge in small increments, one crave, one hour, one day at a time, it IS doable. And we're all here to help. Glad you're taking advantage of your doctor and NRT'S to help you. Do whatever it takes. You'll be thankful in the end...not to mention healthier!!!!! Best of luck to you.

Cheers,

Jan

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 1/27/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 142
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 3,550
Amount Saved: $1,171.50
Life Gained:
Days: 16 Hrs: 3 Mins: 47 Seconds: 45

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 41

I started taking the Chantix today so I have 6 days left to smoke. Timing should be about right for the number of packs I have left in the carton. Of course as it happens I'm on vacation next week and will be driving a lot over the week. I'm going to give this my best shot.

I'll find out Wednesday when my surgery will be scheduled so I'm hoping that I will be finished smoking by the time surgery gets here.

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 515

Hi Steve

Although I have not had back surgery, I had surgery before I quit. They had trouble giving me the anethesia (sp?) because I couldn't take in deep enough breaths. I had to try it a few times. I also got lectured from the anestesiologist (sp?) for smoking.

I did NOT want to quit smoking, most of the times I still don't, but as you can see by "my mileage" i have. I don't know what made me, it wasn't comments from family or friends, maybe the fact that society frowns upon it so much and also, maybe the smell of my hair and my clothes. Either way, I could NOT have done it without the help of this site and the people here. I came (still do) here every day, vented ranted and raved about how bad not smoking was and how hard it was. It was said to me not to focus on the negatives, instead look at the positives and so I started my quit meter (my mileage) that helped so much and still does. I stopped thinking about "how hard this was" and "how much it sucked" I looked at the positive only. I stayed busy, cleaning and organizing my room, my house, my closets, keeping your hands and mind busy really helps. I got the extra sleep my mind and body needed and I used the tools and resources above to know what to expect along the way of my quit. The people here were wonderful and helped and supported me so much. I wish you the best on your quit, and know that no matter how hard it is....it really is worth it, even on those days when it doesn't seem like it is.

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 1/7/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 161
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,898
Amount Saved: $1,130.22
Life Gained:
Days: 14 Hrs: 14 Mins: 35 Seconds: 49

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 855

Hi Steve, it is true about smoking and the recovery from Back surgery, its just your time to quit, its a choice now and you know what has to be done. Make sure you come here for support , we are here to help, i hope all goes well for you and the back surgery, my hubby has had 4 back and one neck, they told him that if he dident quit the bones would never grow together, he is now healing, but will never be the same again, so you hang tough and know YOU CAN QUIT Good Luck to ya Tresa

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 8/8/2002
Smoke-Free Days: 2139
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 51,336
Amount Saved: $8,983.80
Life Gained:
Days: 305 Hrs: 19 Mins: 43 Seconds: 22

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 12049

Steve,

Welcome to our support community. As you can see there is lots of support and advice from members, as well as an entire site to choose from. You may want this more than you think. Your thinking positively before going into surgery and quitting will only help you progress quicker.

Start small and make a quit date, go through the milestones and use the cutting back techniques to help you achieve your goal. Use a journal, coping mechanisms and avoid situations that will tempt you.

We are here to help, so let us know what we can do for you.

Josie, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 901

hey steve

first of all , your doc is spot on about the recovery percentage. smoking hurts your blood circulation and really slows recovery.

i know how you feel about not wanting to quit. i didn't want to quit either , but i didn't want to smoke.what i wanted was to be able to smoke with no problems attached. i.e. health , money , convience.

but that's just not reasonable , so i had to make a decision , and you do too.

you really just have to decide what's more important to you , smoking or your health?

i hope you choose your health , i'll be right here to help you.you can quit and love it !

mike / astrofan

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 3/12/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 96
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,880
Amount Saved: $864.00
Life Gained:
Days: 15 Hrs: 16 Mins: 49 Seconds: 18

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1080

Hi Steve and welcome to SSC- you've come to the right place for help and support if you do intend to quit- but I wish your motivation for quitting was more than just the surgery :(

I think you're the first smoker I have met in a long time that says they dont want to quit-and although I am not doubting that for a moment, me myself finds that really hard to compute.

I too was a smoker for 37 years ( 30 a day) and in the end was desperate to quit. My reasons were I am getting the wrong side of 50 so the old Grim Reaper started taking good friends of mine and it made me really think!! I have a beautiful daughter that I hope to see married with babies etc, I am tired of being unfit and anti-social, I have already suffered through years of smoking, poor teeth and gums, early menopause which equals osteoporosis etc and when all the above was weighed against the advantages of smoking- well there were no advantages!

But hey thats me and you may truly like being a smoker and thats your choice and I would be the last one to preach on and on I know how that is. But Steve, when you are succesful on the Chantix or whatever NRT you choose, please just consider staying quit after your op-being smoke free really isnt as scary as it seems.

Good Luck in whatever you decide.

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/10/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 37
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 925
Amount Saved: $555.00
Life Gained:
Days: 4 Hrs: 9 Mins: 8 Seconds: 25

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1890

Hi Steve and welcome to the SSC...

I'd say that 99% of a successful quit is ALL about motivation. You have to want to quit in the first place and you have to prepare yourself carefully before you quit to deal with the withdrawal symptoms and the cravings that are part and parcel of the first several weeks of your quit...If your head is geared up correctly for the big change then the Chantix will really help ( but you should help it by taking care to experience the nullifying effects it has on incoming nicotine...) and using this site for what it can do for you are the essentials in making the quit work...

If you're going into this in a slipshod way and thinking that you'll go back to smoking right after the surgery then your healing time will be lengthened. Since I have stopped smoking my body heals itself much faster than it did when I was smoking: cuts and abrasions are cleared up in half the time... I can walk three times as far and endure longer physical effort...

Now, think of yourself in the ward after surgery and walking up and down the corridors for exercise, maybe pushing an IV drip pole in front of you as you contemplate going out the emergency door to stand on the stairs and risking a smoke alarm for a drag on that thing that you're addicted to?? How does that feel in your imagination? Is the addiction worth it? Is there any "pleasure" in that??

There are better ways to deal with the stresses and strains of living than the numbing-down of our minds we get when we fill our brains with nicotine. If you re-think your motivation for this quit, Steve, you'll get a lot more out of the effort it takes to quit and stay quit...

... just my opinion...

Patrick

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 1/18/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 150
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 3,750
Amount Saved: $1,687.50
Life Gained:
Days: 27 Hrs: 21 Mins: 14 Seconds: 31

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 70

Hi Steve! I had a doctor who wouldnt do shoulder surgey unless I quit. He put me through physical therapy twice basically placating me. Then I started thinking about how long I had been smoking (32 years) and set a quit date and did it. The people here are great and very supportive, you'll like it here. And you can do it. I've got over 4 months quit and had my surgery with no complications a month ago.
My Milage:

My Quit Date: 2/7/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 130
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 3,900
Amount Saved: $1,207.05
Life Gained:
Days: 14 Hrs: 18 Mins: 39 Seconds: 25

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Hello.. I sure will need help quitting