Terri:
Welcome! So saddened to hear of your illness, this is a very trying time for you and your family right now which is totally understandable. Yes you may required to quit smoking in order to be elligible for this "treatment", but please think of quitting as something you are doing for yourself and not because your children, family, doctor or husband wants you to do it. Deciding to quit to smoke is a very personal experience. They will of course benifit from you quitting by the inspiration that you will show them, the feeling of accomplishment you will feel (your whole outlook even through this trying time) will be a more positive one even if you don't think so right at the moment.
You have set your start date - and start on that date or even start earlier if you feel like it! The choice is yours and yours alone. We are here for you to help you on your way, personal as friends as your going through this difficult health time in your life and also as companions that are going through or have gone through the same quitting stages of smoking as you will be going through.
Whether or not you decide to tell anyone you are quitting is totally up to you. This time when I decided to quit I choose not to tell anyone. For some reason it feels better then when I did tell people the other times I tried to quite I felt whoever I told was watching me to see if I am lighting up, waiting for me to see if I am going to suceed or not. For whatever reason I feel better this time within myself being the only one who knows. Of course this is a personal preference and there is no wrong or right way to do so.
Your situation is a bit different then some of the others as you really have a life threatening concern that requires you to quit. Do not think of this as bad this is a positive thing (not your illness) but you really have a critical reason for you to stop smoking at this point in your life. Use this as a boost for your own self image to quit and not because everyone else wants you to.
Take it minute by minute - then hour by hour - then day by day. As you go on the minutes will get easier, the hours will get easier and then the days will get easier. Your first week we call Hell week (this will be the hardest week for you as far as cravings) remember that during your first week and know that the second week will get better the third even better and so on.
Don't worry about rambling on - Look at me a perfect example of a rambler!!
This is the first time ever I have been a participant in a forum for quitting smoking and it does help. I didn't think it would at first but it really does. I'm on the last day of my Hell week and I have visited here and posted daily.
I BIG hug to you - you can do this.
Laurie
My Milage:My Quit Date: 8/20/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 6
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 150
Amount Saved: $30.00
Life Gained:Days: 0
Hrs: 17
Mins: 39
Seconds: 26
