The Giving Up Smoking Thread!! Part 2

Sue-UU

Day 24 maccabe?!!!!! Wonderful news and not long until that first vital and wonderful month is here!!! Don't worry, all that you said did make perfect sense though I think your last line was meant to read ".....and hopefully the exercise will make my mind more restful."

Congratulations whathavewedone, talk about listing the positives and really sounding that way!! You're doing just great. Isn't it great when you wake from those sort of terrifying dreams. It's good to hear about all that muck and rubbish coming on out, just think what it would have been like if left there!!! The cough and a slightly tight chest are very normal for those of us hit more by the years of smoking (me included), it'll pass soon enough. What a wonderful Birthday gift you're giving your darling daughter - well done!

A dry mouth, headache and bad taste in your mouth are indeed all part of the detox, though much of the bad taste comes from still coughing up the rubbish. Glad to see you're using the water and OJ, both will help get your system going properly again and 'refresh' you. Be careful the mouthwash isn't making your mouth drier, it's possible. Try not using it and see how you go. You are so right about us often simply being thirsty and seeing it as hunger, whenever I felt like a nibble (errr um) it was soon quelled when trying a glass of water first.


A wonderfully happy Stroppy today then, and good for you!!! I was thrilled to hear you didn't crack under the strain and I'm sure you really, really proud of that. Not everyone coughs rubbish up stroppy, a lot depends on how long we've smoked for and if we come from that sort of background. Some folk even get fooled into believing they're not at risk of nasty illnesses because of the lack of a chesty cough, believe me they certainly are! Don't worry too much about coming near smoke for the first time, you'll deal with it and may well detest it, you may find times that you loathe it and others when you love it, but when it's the latter so long as you stick to the just the smell you won't go wrong, just be thankful you're not the inhaler anymore!!!

Your 'toilet' habits may come a result of you getting stressed up through the evenings and agitating your system.How about getting some 'Kalms' from the chemist, they've helped quite a few of the girls here. I know you don't like exercise Stroppy, but even a little each day would relax you so much and be so beneficial and you'd find all the tenseness disappear as well as getting some of the pounds off! A little walk round the block - anything that exhilarates you will make you feel great and release the endorphins to get you feeling so happy. Can't you find something interesting to do in the evenings (plenty of scope there!)? How about a game of something, cards, scrabble, a jigsaw, darts?? Good luck with your carbon monoxide reading, try to keep away from traffic on the way there as it really does make a difference.

Hiya Feedum!!!! It's so good to see another of your inspiring posts here again. That year's getting closer now, what an achievement!! I've a feeling we've a few more here now who will soon be where you are!!! Do you ever tell your OH about ripping his head off??

Well done Tisme, you're off the blocks and away on your run to a whole new lifestyle that's been waiting for you! Good to hear all's well so far, long may it stay that way. You're sounding so very positive and have a great outlook, don't let that go and take each day as it comes and, all being well, you'll do fine. Your little ones will be so proud of you soon. Keep strong and look to the future as a non smoker!

Hi ameliarate. You have already done brilliantly in getting down from 20 to 3, that in itself is a hell of an achievement. How about going down to 2 for a week, then to down to just 1 and leaving that until last thing at night? A few days of 1 a day will see you thinking "what the blazes am I doing this for???" Worth thinking about I hope. Another thing that may help is to get a little bottle of "Dr Bach's Rescue Remedy" (a narural plant remedy that DOES work, either from a chemist or health store), taking a few drops of that in a drink or put directly onto your tongue will help relax you. If you get to any stage whetre you feel like crying, do so and let it out of your system. Exercise as much as possible and use the tips about water, OJs and fresh fruit. PM me if you wish, anything to help you through.

Have a great week everyone, making it a smoke-free week will definately make it a terrific week!:j Make a firm resolve every day, pamper yourselves when you can, exercise as much as you can and stay strong! You CAN make your life ahead such a healthy one.

Sue

whathavewedone

Hmmm.

Me and oh had a row last night, he is being unbearably snappy and picky.

He poured cold water on my idea of using smoking money to overpay our mortgage ("his" money apparently as I merely look after the children) and said he hadn't been wearing patches all weekend because I hadn't laid them out on the bed for him. :mad:

He then said he was only being horrible because he wanted a fag and suggested that maybe he should go down to the shop and buy some and we can give up another time, what did I think. I said NO!!!!!! I said if he wants to go back to smoking that's fine but I'm not. I think he was quite taken aback by my reaction because previously when he's caved in so have I. I have a feeling he might have engineered a row just to get me to that point - not necessarily consciously.

Anyway this morning he's back on the patches (laid out on the bed by me :A ) and full of apologies. We made it up and he agreed to go through the bank statements with me and look at what, if anything, we can save each month to overpay our mortgage.

So all's well that ends well - for now anyway. If he acts like that again though I might go and buy him a packet myself.

Stroppy, I was awake from 1am last night and I couldn't stop weeing. Must be all the water and orange juice I suppose. Very annoying. I don't feel tired though (I was asleep by 8.30pm, couldn't look at oh any more without feeling the need to lamp him).

ameliarate

Thanks for the support - I got to work this morning and the other two people in my office have also been great saying pretty much the same.

I do have an inhalator which works most of the time but on the "big" cravings nothing works.

OH seems to think I should just be able to stop - as he has done - and I guess that's whats worrying me because I feel like I am failing.

I feel more positive this morning so thanks everyone. :T

stroppy

Morning everyone,
Today im back to doom and gloom thoughts....my eldest woke up in a grump,had big row with him and all I could think was FAG!!!!
My mind seems to have forgotten all the good reasons I had for giving up and I feel restless and bored.:mad:
Trying to keep busy and have even taken a brisk walk which nearly killed me as its so windy here today!
I just want the day to come where I can think of something else apart from smoking......
Sorry for the moan again

How about trying Champix Amelirate ive heard thats really good for making you not want to smoke at all xx

stroppy

Had my freshstart appointment and blew into my little thingy.....it registered 0 ! Pharmacist says hes never had anyone with a 0 before so that cheered me up a bit :j.
Much happier this afternoon, my life is like a seesaw at the moment.....up and down so flippin much!
xx

whathavewedone

there you go Stroppy I bet that's given you a bit of motivation to carry on.

Right, time to get the kids tea on and then when oh gets in I'm going to leave him to it and retire to the living room with a glass of red and a packet of hula hoops. Might go wild and have a bubble bath too.

mizzbiz

Well, we are finally biting the bullet and stopping smoking. I've thought about it in the past but never actually gone through with it, thinking i'm young and I can get over whatever harm i'm doing to myself. Well, i'm 27 now and my aim was to quit by the time I was 30, but I feel so crap generally, grey skin, dark circles around eyes, stink of smoke all the time, that now really is the time to just quit. I don't see the point in waiting until i'm 30, that's three years more damage and I already wheeze and can't breathe when I exercise since about summer last year. That was the real wakeup call for me tbh.

We are also looking to overpay the mortgage by massive amounts, and between me and OH we will save almost 400£ per month on cigs. Thats 4.5k per year! We have been trying frugal living, and just decided yesterday that there's no point in being frugal when we spend as much on tabs per month as we do on the mortgage.

Also, my brother had a baby (well, his wife did), and all the time I was in the hospital I was paranoid about smelling of smoke, as I am around my whole family cos after years they still don't know (although I expect they STRONGLY suspect!).

So anyway, thought becoming a member of this board might be of great help. I've read right through and I am so proud of so many of you. I'm a real coward as I have already been panicking about bored moments. I am very pig-headed though, so once I have decided, that will be it for me.

We have 40 left between us, so the cutting day is tomorow (no point now with 11 quid worth of cigs lying about). By tomorow eveing, smoke free we will be.

Sorry for the rant.... :-)

stroppy

Hello and welcome mizzbizz :-)
A lot of people I know promised theyd quit by the time they were 30 and did, I left it till i was 31 and figured its now or never!Its helped me lots being on here and helps to check in each day to see how others are getting on and get some much needed support
Are you doing any programme or just packing in cold turkey?
Stroppy xx

mizzbiz

Well, planning on going cold turkey as that's what my dad did almost twenty years ago and has never looked back. Just woke up one day and told us all he had quit smoking, and he did.

If i'm despererate (like at lunchtime at work when I have missed my mid-morning cig break) I may invest in an inhalator, as for me that's the crux of it. Don't think the gum or patches will do me much good as it will be the physical act of smoking I will miss, not the nicotine.

I'll try and check in each day as I think it will be great to be part of a support group to do this. i also managed to get a free pdf copy of Allen Carr's book, and am almost halfway through that.

Sue-UU

It does sound a little as though your OH was being crafty whathavewedone, good for you in your commitment. Remind him that the first week is over now and you both successfully passed it brilliantly!!!:T I HOPE this sentence <<"If he acts like that again though I might go and buy him a packet myself.">> was just you and some hot air talking!! :rolleyes: I'm glad you finally got things sorted, finances included. I hope you acted on the bubble bath idea. You're doing great WHWD, keep going as you are now!

Hi ameliarate and good to hear you sounding better about it all. Ignore comments from anyone that make you feel your failing - failing's when you don't bother quitting at all. Simply remind him that you're doing your very best, but know for a fact that his love and gentle support will get you through it far better. It's so good for those who find it easy, they're fortunate and they're usually men!!!! For the rest of us it's often like a mountain to climb, but with every step we take and every day that passes we're closer to getting there - you will too, you sound too concerned not to!!! Keep very strong and listen to your colleagues.

That's it stroppy, you were feeling that it wasn't such a good day so you came here to get it off your chest, great going! Then the day changed - that brisk walk I'll bet, along with the carbon monoxide reading registering a fantastic 0 !!!!!! :T Another brisk walk today I hope, it really will help you in many ways! You've given mizzbiz good advice too, another good sign of you being so firm in your decision to quit! :j Keep it up stroppy, you've achieved your first week!!!! :T

Hi and welcome mizzbizz! By the time you read this you'll have become free of smoking and all the harm it causes, look forward to you both getting through this first great day and take it a day at a time by renewing your vow not to smoke when you get up. If you need to change routines at difficult times of the day then do so, think hard as there are always ways round them. Water, OJs and exercise are the things that will serve you best, keep up all of them and if you have a hobby or can think of one to fill difficult hours do so asap.

Whenever you're away from traffic areas breathe that fresh air in deeply and expel as much air as possible and 'see' the dirty, smokey air going further away from you with every breath you take. Take your time with baths/showers and feel that water cleansing your body. We all wish you the very best of luck and our aim is the same as yours - to see you QUIT!!!!!! :j

Keep at it everyone, keep very, very strong and reach for that .....oh so healthy life that awaits you on the clean side of life. You were there once and WILL be again!!!

Sue