The Giving Up Smoking Thread - Part 3

Sue-UU

Hi there Flossie, stress no more! Giving into thoughts of "I could so do with one" can so often be the curse that messes it up completely - maybe for years! It turns out for you that it's served you well and, all being well, you'll never want another puff for the rest of your life - what's the point if it disgusts you!

Chalk it up as a blip Flossie and then move onto a calmer you, for your little darling's sake. He may well have felt your stress anyway and that's why he was the way he was, makes sense.

DD's right when she say about caffeine, so try to steer clear of tea and especially coffee.

For now Flossie, relax and......know you do not need fags in your life!

Sue x

Good posts and many pearls of wisdom there DD! Well done.

Sue x

UnionGirl

1 day 9hrs 45mins - Cold Turkey now

I stopped the inhalator yesterday (last puff of it was around 4.25pm). I'm still using it but without the nicotine cartridge in so will get rid of the nicotine quicker hopefully.

Physically, I feel pretty carp today actually. Mentally, not too bad as I still don't want to smoke so I'm pleased with that. But I've got a tickly throat and a bit of a cough (only smoked 10 a day so I'm a bit surprised at that) and my body feels as if I'm away to get a bad cold or the flu (hope not).

I was expecting all the above but just not quite so soon after stopping smoking. I'm hoping it's a good thing that I've got all this just now to get it all out of the way.

Not even 10am (been in the office since 9am and I'm on my 3rd glass of water).

Thank you very much DD for posting the links - very interesting and explains a lot. Some things I knew, but a lot I was like I didn't know that. Again, thank you Sue for the very warm welcome here on this thread.

I'm still feeling optimistic about stopping smoking. I've never lasted longer than a day before, but this time I actually want to stop rather than thinking it's something that I SHOULD do.

Have to cancel a night out at the pub tonight though, I just know that I'd smoke if I went out and have a few beers. Coronation Street for me tonight then lol.:D

Sue-UU

UnionGirl wrote:

I'm still feeling optimistic about stopping smoking. I've never lasted longer than a day before, but this time I actually want to stop rather than thinking it's something that I SHOULD do.

Hi UnionGirl, keep on reinforcing your view above, it's half the battle of a successful quit.

Don't concern yourself about how you're feeling, it's a normal reaction and even though you only smoked 10 a day you still ingested all the chemicals that go with the nicotine! The lot needs to come out, it just affects us a little as it does so. Everyone is different though and some people will barely be affected at all, whilst many others get really stinking colds an bad throats for a few weeks. Be content with yours! Believe me though, it's always a good thing for sure!

Very well done on doing so very well UG, especially the CT idea! :TAlready you've come a LONG way and are doing yourself so proud. A very wise move about the pub tonight, you're a little too vulnerable, but once you feel ok let yourself have the upper hand and discipline yourself. Try it on a wet night when your friends have to go outside to feed their addiction....but YOU get to stay in the dry!

Keep strong and focused.

Sue x

Erme

madkitty wrote: »

Just thought Id pop in and say hi as its my first day as a non-smoker...biggest incentive ever, trying to conceive :j I gave up smoking using champix 3 years ago for 18 months so I know I can do it again! Can anyone recommend any good iphone apps or sites where I can get daily motivational emails sent to me?

There's a thing on the nicorette site for motivational emails....And just go into the app store and find a free quitting smoking app....try a a few....

Sue-UU wrote: »

Hi Erme, I'm thrilled for you that you sound so elated at thoughts of your visit to your Mum on Tuesday, have a really lovely time Erme. I've just read about your ligament problems and I'm so pleased you're recovering; maybe you spoke about them when I was incapacitated with my hand, arm and shoulder injuries as I don't recall anything. The Dr just gave me the results of the scan on my shoulder and I have some torn ligaments..fuid too. I'm due for an op in October to manipulate my frozen shoulder. My hand's a little better, but still terribly hard to move. Let's hope we're both much better soon.

Very well done on your non-smoker status Erme, just a thought though....how about if you were to just inhale the water without the nicotine?!!!! :rotfl::rotfl:Have a great Sunday Erme.

{{{Hugs}}} Sue xx

Och I can't do that right now hun cos I'd get psychotic...it just wouldn't be worth it...But following my high of the other week on 30mg/ml I've now reduced it down to 28mg/ml...the plan is to reduce it by 2mg/ml a month till I'm just on the water stuff ....then use the inhalator or something (empty) for stress.... or even just a quick one spray of the nasal spray cos I find nicotine a really good anti depressant...

Well I'm home from Ma's...we had a fab time - thanks for everyone's prayers...We had our ups and downs (not least on low nicotine and tired first night in Skye - bad memories and what not - kind of lost it :eek:) and once I couldn't vape on the bus. Vaping on trains barely gets a eyebrow....Not even at the station does it get more than a glance....

I took my third e-cig I bought (the one you saw the photo of)- I didn't take a spare so it had to work ...Praise God it came through with flying colours ... I got the batteries on the friday and they're champion too.. Really expensive but I can't be forking out £20 for batteries every month . Just not cost effective.... (the batteries I got were about £8 each. I got three )....

Great talking point in youth hostels.....Really good...

Stayed in a fab hostel in Portree that really looked after Ma but budget hotels are budget for a reason - they have nothing but a tiny shower and a bed. I was saved by my coffee shop top up card . (only two doors down)...Britannia likewise in Edinburgh well worth a visit (Ma and I got reduced entry)...and it was really sunny that day...

Fed Ma for the weekend for about £20...just cooked basic healthy food of pasta and veggies and mince (the pasta was on offer)....and the youth hostel supplied tea and coffee...

Cost for 10 days backpacking including travel for us both and food and spending monies was about £400 so £100 over budget but still good. Ma and I squared up yesterday am...

Cos of the reduced budget I blew the overdraft on a second hand but new to me camera.....Was going to get the one @ £50 but the memory card was fossilized and it didn't take AA....so got the Fujifilm FinePix bridge camera for £91 from ebay...a few years old but should be okay...has 65% on which which'll do me cos everything over 72% is like £300 - over budget :eek:.....

So yeah start voluntary work with CAP on Monday

Had a few whoopsie days with cigs. Lost batteries on Tuesday so smoked for half a day but was so chesty back to e-cig in the evening. Also smoked 1 oz yesterday cos was psychotic and with the anxiety the e-cig was giving me heartburn (and I hadn't been taking my stomach pills on holiday)...lesson learnt ...stay on the stomach pills :A....

So yeah fab holiday and now I'm sitting here waiting for postie. Skye can be cheap if you're savvy...there's a great bakers in Portree square and a great butchers and the postcards are 5 for £1 in the TI ...but we had a bus pass etc and a good friend in Staffin.....:)

Lots of do in Portree and Skye too.. People were doing it in 2 days - 4 days wasn't long enough for us ..best fish and chips eva down the pier

Erme

janet43

Hi All
Just like to say that you are all doing really well.
Sorry to bring things down but i have been reading this thread along time now and feel i need abit of a boost.
I have stopped smoking for 20 weeks now and at the moment i feel like its the first week again. Every day this week i have just thought about smoking and how nice it would be to have one.
I have not given in because i would very upset with myself if i did but i just want to stop thinking about it. I have two weeks off work at the moment so i dont know if this is the reason why but argggggg.:eek:
Most of the 20 weeks i have been on NRT maybe the last 3 weeks i have used nothing.
janet xxx

Sue-UU

Hi Janet, it's sooooo very good to see you've been beavering away all this time, so I sincerely hope you really are proud of yourself!!! If it means anything at all to you, I'm terribly proud of you as we'd heard nothing from you, so very, well done indeed!!! :T:T:T:T



Don't worry too much about how you feel right now, it's the remnants of 'old Nick' that quite often still lie in the back of our minds. It's up to us to give him a swift kick where it hurts and stamp on him hard as he falls to the floor in agony - go on, mentally do it.....and 'see' him roll away out of your life! :mad: It's amazing what we can do with the power of our minds and this is one of those occasions, you'll see.



It could well be something to do with you having been off of NRT, it could also be the fact that you may have been subconsciously wondering if things might get worse because NRT's out of your life! However, turn your mind around a bit to the direction that says "Thank God I'm now COMPLETELY free of that horrible nicotine - there's absolutely nothing of it left inside me!!! :j Rejoice in that fact rather than letting yourself be fearful of it, it's so much to be delighted about.



At present you have too much time on your hands that isn't soaked up with having to be focused on your work and no doubt this is the first time you've had chance to let your mind wander to other holiday times when you've sat back, relaxed and..........!!! Right?

OK Janet, you now need to focus on all the great things of your life, whatever gives you the most pleasure in life study it. Take some of your holiday pay and treat yourself to something that really makes you buzz with pleasure and excitement. Spoil yourself, a massage, a facial, new bottle of perfume. Maybe a day out somewhere beautiful, a day at a theme park if it's your thing - anything you find enjoyable. How about a night or two away out of the cash you've saved. I love anything to do with nature so I used to grab my camera and go in search of all the animals or great scenes I could find.

By the way, have you been saving the money you would otherwise have spent? If not...do so....all of it from Day 1. That can be a big booster, it was to me.



Keep right on praising yourself at how wonderfully well you've done in being FREE from those nasty killers - and that's what could happen to those who still persist in choking themselves with them!

Please Janet, would you please kindly let us know how you're getting on and if you have any more hiccups, come on back to us and let us know. You've done a very wise thing today, you called out when you needed help, never think twice about doing so again.



Enjoy your holiday and walk with your head held high - you deserve that - you're an ex-smoker!



Love and best wishes, Sue xxx

janet43

Sue-UU wrote: »

Hi Janet, it's sooooo very good to see you've been beavering away all this time, so I sincerely hope you really are proud of yourself!!! If it means anything at all to you, I'm terribly proud of you as we'd heard nothing from you, so very, well done indeed!!! :T:T:T:T



Don't worry too much about how you feel right now, it's the remnants of 'old Nick' that quite often still lie in the back of our minds. It's up to us to give him a swift kick where it hurts and stamp on him hard as he falls to the floor in agony - go on, mentally do it.....and 'see' him roll away out of your life! :mad: It's amazing what we can do with the power of our minds and this is one of those occasions, you'll see.



It could well be something to do with you having been off of NRT, it could also be the fact that you may have been subconsciously wondering if things might get worse because NRT's out of your life! However, turn your mind around a bit to the direction that says "Thank God I'm now COMPLETELY free of that horrible nicotine - there's absolutely nothing of it left inside me!!! :j Rejoice in that fact rather than letting yourself be fearful of it, it's so much to be delighted about.



At present you have too much time on your hands that isn't soaked up with having to be focused on your work and no doubt this is the first time you've had chance to let your mind wander to other holiday times when you've sat back, relaxed and..........!!! Right?

OK Janet, you now need to focus on all the great things of your life, whatever gives you the most pleasure in life study it. Take some of your holiday pay and treat yourself to something that really makes you buzz with pleasure and excitement. Spoil yourself, a massage, a facial, new bottle of perfume. Maybe a day out somewhere beautiful, a day at a theme park if it's your thing - anything you find enjoyable. How about a night or two away out of the cash you've saved. I love anything to do with nature so I used to grab my camera and go in search of all the animals or great scenes I could find.

By the way, have you been saving the money you would otherwise have spent? If not...do so....all of it from Day 1. That can be a big booster, it was to me.



Keep right on praising yourself at how wonderfully well you've done in being FREE from those nasty killers - and that's what could happen to those who still persist in choking themselves with them!

Please Janet, would you please kindly let us know how you're getting on and if you have any more hiccups, come on back to us and let us know. You've done a very wise thing today, you called out when you needed help, never think twice about doing so again.



Enjoy your holiday and walk with your head held high - you deserve that - you're an ex-smoker!



Love and best wishes, Sue xxx

Thank you Sue for your message. That was very nice of you and it did give me a boost. You are right i have done well and its just old habits that i need to get out off.
janet xxx

Erme

I think sue was spot on and wished I'd read her yesterday pre the one oz......whoops...

Just uploading pics from holiday to facebook (so now you all have to pm me for my email addy to see them tee hee)

and my second hand fujifilm finepix (there's a new model out) that I got with the £90 that I sort of had left from hols (cos the budget was £300 and I only spent £200) bridge camera came this lunch and it looks really good :j

Only snag was getting it configured with the mac but soon sorted that

So yeah...a lot better than yesterday....off to toastie club in a minute or two and walking

and you know those really posh wrap coats things you get from EWM for silly prices - well I got one from the charity shop about 6 months ago really cheap but it needed a broach..Got a gorgeous one in the car boot on holiday for 10p

E

UnionGirl

Day 3 17 hrs 10mins

I have now officially passed the 72 hour mark and am nicotine free.

It hasn't been easy but it definitely hasn't been anywhere near as difficult as I thought.

A few cravings, but it was more the restlessness that bugged me. I'm breathing easier and deeper already and that keeps me from going to buy cigarettes when I do get a craving.

Have spent the weekend eating a lot of junk though lol. I'm lucky as I could be done with putting on some weight anyway so I'm not bothered about that.

Now that I've passed the 72 hour mark, what is the next milestone to reach?

Hope everyone else is doing well.:T

Sue-UU

UnionGirl wrote: »

I'm breathing easier and deeper already and that keeps me from going to buy cigarettes when I do get a craving.

Hi UnionGirl and very, very well done on such a great achievement!!!! :T:T You've done yourself really proud at ridding your body of nicotine, it deserves that freedom - you do too! Keep focusing on your lungs and how you can breathe easier and deeper, keep doing so whenever you have a 'moment' as it's not your body craving but your mind playing tricks after old nicks been dictating your every move for so long. :mad: Focus hard on your lungs and any beautiful thoughts/memories you have stored away to get you past it much quicker.

Think about it and have some memories stored ready to bring to the rescue as soon as you need them. The greater and more meaningful your memories the greater the impact on the 'moment'. You'll find that as time passes these 'moments' will last less and get much less frequent til you don't recall them going at all.

You've reached one heck of a fantastic milestone as you know so for now - at the end of every successful day passed - make the next one your milestone. IF you can reach a week you will have achieved a HUGE benchmark and will feel so elated, but for now take it a day at a time. Just always remember to praise yourself so highly as you go along UG as this is a journey like no other and you're doing yourself so much good with every step!!!

I'm so very, very pleaed for you and so proud too.

Remember the lungs and how you need them!

Love, Sue xxx