Get the Support You Need

Learn from thousands of users who have made their way through our courses. Need help getting started? Watch this short video.

today's top discussions:

logo

Addiction

Lynn123

2024-03-27 3:02 PM

Managing Drinking Community

logo

New Year's Resolutions

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-03-25 2:47 AM

Managing Drinking Community

logo

Water

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-03-17 5:24 PM

Healthy Weight Community

logo

What motivates you?

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-03-10 10:30 PM

Quit Smoking Community

This Month’s Leaders:

Most Supportive

DM555 3 3

Browse through 411.742 posts in 47.053 threads.

160,431 Members

Please welcome our newest members: Jgorilla, anna13, CCaballero, JJAY EVANGEL, VKATE DARLENE

Non-Smokers: How many days were the ABSOLUTE worst?


6 years ago 0 3 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I have quit since November 2017. It wasn't a choice. I was visiting Lake Tahoe on the vacation of a lifetime. I had asthma and still smoked. That coupled with the cold I had was a recipe for disaster.
I woke up at 5 am not able to breathe. I woke up my husband and said please we need to go to the urgent care. At 7 am when they opened we were first in.
My oxygen saturation was at a 79-80 normal is 95 or better. They put me on Oxygen and started steroids immediately.
As I lie in the bed with the cannula of Oxygen not knowing if I would have to wear this for life or not I was terrified. I had seen people smoking on oxygen before. Couldn't believe my eyes.
At this point they were giving me 4 liters of O2 per hour I think? Anyway they told me 2 days later I could go home but would need to leave with an oxygen tank. They put me on a steroid and said to buy an Oxygen meter at CVS and take it off about every 8 hours and check to see if my oxygen levels got better. We came off the mountain and booked a hotel in San Diego. I had a tank and a box with 50 feet of tubing so I could walk around the room. I remember praying not religious but said "God if you give me my oxygen back I will never smoke again." 8 days later I took it off and my Oxygen was at 92. Wore it one more day and my oxygen was 95 percent. I kept testing every hour to make sure that it would stay. I thanked the Man/woman/thing upstairs and have kept my end of the bargain ever since. Don't let this be you. I still crave cigs every day and have gained around 15 pounds from quitting and steroids. At 50 years old I am not sure if I will ever be able to go to the mountains again. But I have no oxygen and wake up every morning and try and get 30 minutes on the treadmill. It is not easy. I made a promise to someone and intend to keep it. Sucks that I ever started. Glad I quit but should have done it many years ago. Good luck to everyone. Chewing gum helps. Nothing will ever give you that feeling of a cig in your hand and the meditation effect it has. But you will live and not walk around with a tube in your nose. Don't wait to learn the hard way. Do it now!!
 
  • Quit Meter

    $245,035.80

    Amount Saved

  • Quit Meter

    Days: 6246 Hours: 8

    Minutes: 12 Seconds: 9

    Life Gained

  • Quit Meter

    45377

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    544,524

    Cigarettes Not Smoked

9 years ago 0 12 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
As you have beem told it's different for everyone as for me its 10 months since i quit I took chantix to start that took the edge off of the cravings but they were still there and still bother me remember this is for your health you Will feel better in time I do no more hacking cough very little flem craving come and go they are hard but stay strong good luck on your quit it takes time let us know how your doing. 
Ermio 
9 years ago 0 796 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hey Nightlight,
 As you said, it's different for everyone. No two quitters are the same, and no two quits are the same for the same quitter.  
The triggers will be there for the rest of your life. You just need to learn how to deal with them. As for the cravings, I do not have an answer for you. I'm one of the lucky ones. After I started my quit, my mind was made up that I would never smoke again, and I never have had a real craving. I tried to be prepared for what to expect. You have to be prepared mentally for your quit to work. 
 The unknown is scary, and once again, that's why you need to be prepared. If you know what to expect, you'll know how to deal with it. Learn learn learn! You can never know enough.
Stay strong and I wish you the best on your journey.
 
N.O.P.E. 
  • Quit Meter

    $22,996.05

    Amount Saved

  • Quit Meter

    Days: 765 Hours: 7

    Minutes: 42 Seconds: 24

    Life Gained

  • Quit Meter

    3801

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    83,622

    Cigarettes Not Smoked

9 years ago 0 3 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Tomorrows my quit day, and I'm hoping to pick your brains in preparation!
 
For you, how many days are the very worst for cravings/triggers? How many days were there where you felt like you were hanging on by a thread, so to speak?
Are they the first 2 days, 4, 7, 45.....
 
I know it's different for everyone- but by asking about your personal experience, I'm hoping that learning about them will help ease the anxiety of the unknown. Just trying to get a feel for the water before I dive in.
 
Thank you in advance for your time and help!
 
 

Reading this thread: