The Giving Up Smoking Thread!!

hethmar

Just wanted to add guys. Ive got the lousiest cold, sore throat and cough at the moment. It made me remember how, even when I felt this rough Id STILL light up a fag, knowing that Id be hacking with a cough and getting a bruised chest from it.

Its madness isnt it - absolutely insane. I have to confess here, I wasnt going to say, but when I was in my thirties with two young children, I got pneumonia - yes, real collapsed left lung pneumonia - the doctor actually rang for an ambulance when he came to see me at home - what did I do when he told me the ambulance would be coming - as he left the house I lit up a fag even though I could hardly suck on it.

Im telling you that guys because Im sure some of you will say, its alright for these people who are smug about packing it up, but I bet they never really needed a fag like I do. Now you know, this idiot with two young children to care for nearly literally killed themselves for a fag. I was in hospital for 3 weeks in an oxygen tent, packed round with ice and with regular pain killing injections - and when I came out within 2 weeks I was on 20 a day again. Absolutely degrading.

As Ive said over and over, if I could do it, then each of you can certainly do it.

bigsmoke

wow - hethmar, what an achievement, you must be SO pleased to have got yourself away from the habit! a real wake-up call.

thanks for sharing the story, and you're absolutely right. i know i can give up, i'm finding it harder than i though it would be, but not as hard as it could be, and i'm in nowhere near the situation that you found yourself so you're right, if you can do it i certainly can!

i'm not using patches or anything - it's only in certain situations that i really struggle so it's definitely the habit rather than the nicotine that i'm struggling with (i made 2 weeks ok, i just didn't venture into the pub at all in those 2 weeks!).

thanks again for the inspiration, i'm so glad people like you are willing to help out in here and support the rest of us

bs xx

Mintoze

Thanks for the sympathy bigsmoke. I'm so sorry you caved in as well. Anyone else? You know it was the right decision to bin the baccy etc., and well done for doing that. As you say, it's going to be very very difficult over the next few weeks. We are spending Xmas with (smoking) friends and relatives and I'm already thinking I must pack loads of gum. Having tried to resist the gum & patches, I think these might be an emergency last resort.

Hethmar, thanks very much for your story. It does help to know there are those who have been through possibly worse than oneself. Now you really ARE inspirational :A No, I haven't as yet used NRTs because Allen Carr says not to!

miss_essex01

I want to join too! I spend 4.25 a day on fags and that adds up to 1764 a year!!! gosh!

But i dont want to give up completely i want to first cut down to smoking 10 fags a day

xx

hethmar

Miss essex, why dont you go the whole hog and pack up completely?

Mintoze

missessex01 wrote: »

I want to join too! I spend 4.25 a day on fags and that adds up to 1764 a year!!! gosh!

But i dont want to give up completely i want to first cut down to smoking 10 fags a day

xx

I agree with Hethmar - it could be easier to give up 'cold turkey' rather than cut down. Cutting down can prolong the agony.

miss_essex01

hethmar wrote: »

Miss essex, why dont you go the whole hog and pack up completely?

I think im just too scared :embarasse

hethmar

I packed up over 3 weeks. Cutting it down every day until one morning I had no fags in the pack and as I grabbed my coat, hair unbrushed and no make up on, to make my usual fast drive to the nearest garage I thought no, sod it, I shant be a slave to this and that was my first full day without a fag. I even remember the date - its funny how many people do remember the date they finally packed up - 10 December 2006

miss_essex01

hethmar wrote: »

I packed up over 3 weeks. Cutting it down every day until one morning I had no fags in the pack and as I grabbed my coat, hair unbrushed and no make up on, to make my usual fast drive to the nearest garage I thought no, sod it, I shant be a slave to this and that was my first full day without a fag. I even remember the date - its funny how many people do remember the date they finally packed up - 10 December 2006

Wow! A big well done to you :T

That takes allot of willpower and its amazing how smoking can put you out or make you go to drastic actions to get money for fags and so on.

Ive been smoking for 7 years - been smoking 15aday for 4 years.
xx

hethmar

Miss essex, Id been smoking for 40 years.