Any chance ?

Written by

as.im.aging

Tue, July 22, 2008

Hi - I am new to this site, but not Health Central .. as a subscriber to the MS & Chronic Pain sites , it is time to kick this habit that has been plagueing me for years ..

There just doesn't seem to be a "right" time .. and I have quit before , yet it is harder now ... as I do have anxiety and other issues that tend to signal the receptors to crave if not scream for a smoke ...

Hoping that by writing about it , and getting some helpful hints from others who are facing separate issues , like me, as to where and how to get started ...

My bio tells about my prepping , as instead of patches, determined not to be good for MS people ... gum is my back up , but each time I feel I am ready , something dumb will happen and I lose it ...

Well, I am not all that much different than most here , and am willing to give this site a chance .... as I found tremendous support on the other sites .. people have helped , and so here I am .....

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Allison Bush

7/22/08 12:40pm

I'm so glad you're giving us a shot over here at StopSmokingConnection. My name is Alli and I'm this site's producer. We have a ton of resources (and great experts!) that I hope will give you the support and direction you need. And, just to give you a heads-up, we will soon be launching an online stop smoking program that you might be interested in joining--stay tuned!

For now, here is a series: "how to quit smoking" that our expert, Anne Mitchell (a former smoker), has written that other users have found to be helpful. Please let me know if there's something specific I can help you find...

Preparing to Quit Smoking
How to Quit Smoking: Week 1
How to Quit Smoking: Week 2

How to Quit Smoking: Week 3
How to Quit Smoking: Week 4

How to Quit Smoking: Beyond the First Month

Again, welcome to the community!

Alli

Allison Bush

7/22/08 12:46pm

Also, if you need a good laugh, the Midlife Gals are a hoot! you can check them out here...

randilynne

8/18/08 2:39am

hi. i also have several health issues; i've had high blood pressure since i was 12 and a 3 level cervical spinal fusion that did not, in fact, allow me to resume all my activities. i did quit for several months to expidite healing, but i always knew i was going back. maybe you can understand this--- no one was going to take away my right to smoke, especially since i still did it so well. i was 28 and i wasn't going to be in miserable pain and fat. fast forward 16 years. my weight is good to low. i'm weight training 3 days a week and doing pilates 6 times a week. my cholesterol is food. i never cough or choke or even get winded. so in march i end up in the er with foot pain and numbness. an examination reveals that i have no pulse from my knee down. and as quick as you can say "cigarette side effect" i'm getting 6 stents to reopen my illiac artery and one in my heart! i have severe atherosclerosis. i'm a 43 year old woman, falling into the one in a million smoker category, with the arteries of an (equally) damaged 80 year old man! i haven't smoked since. but i've really really really wanted to. i couldn't substitute with the gum and patches ( no nicotine allowed). i've done chantix. i tried to make an arguement that you start it while you're currently smoking. no go. my cardiololgist seemed doubtful about my sucess. or my veracity. i have fibbed in the past while sneaking ultralights. but not to a doctor. ( one time i did sneak a "low tar" smoke with a doctor, but that was a different hospitalization) if i can quit anyone could. i was a die hard (which you definitely do) i'd love to do anything i can to help increase your chances. the chantix helped but no i'm looking into auricle accupuncture. if you're interested.......... seriously finding a nonsmoking buddy would do so much to keep me motivated. or even if you don't want hoopla and a cheerleader, quiet assurance and a friend just to say " hey we made it through another day. if this isn't the "right" time, well i'll be around. for a long while i fear. i'd like to help

sheretta

2/15/09 1:08pm

Randilynn, you go girl...I am 41 and really can relate to your post. I too smoked ultra lights, lights and closet smoked on a lot of situations. My doctor already had me on an antidepressant, she added welbutrin and the patches. I have nicorette gum scattered in cabinets throughout, I appreciate your post and motivation.

sheretta

2/15/09 1:05pm

Hi there:

I'm new too, just found and joined site today. I put on my first patch today at noon after a shower, I had my daughter put it on for me, she's 15. I smoked before pregnancy, I stopped the entire time I was preg, and started back when I hurt my knee, couldn't stay in military, was having hard time in marriage and one day I got a 37 on a test...instead of crying I got a cigarette from a classmate..I have stopped a couple times and found some stressful thing to bring me back to smoking. You can do it and like I told people, I really want to quit but I can't right now, but I am going to quit. I'm done with resolutions and setting a quit date just made me anxious, I took cessation classes, I defeated my own attempts. I hope today is the beginning to the end of my smoking. I was too lazy to go out and buy some last night, had one left, woke up had coffee and just mentally willed myself to pull the patches out of the cabinet and closet and read the booklet. I lost my voice last week, had all kinds of mucus going on and I guess that's my sign...Let's keep in touch okay.

randilynne

2/15/09 10:33pm

hi sheretta. i'm glad that you feel like you want to quit. that's such an important first step. even if it doesn't take hold right away it will. i just reached 10 months. when i go back to older posts i really remember how hard this is, but how worth it. and sheretta, it does get soooo much easier. you start to wonder why you ever thought that a burning smelly object would help anything. so YOU go girl. ps. i had a lot of luck with chantix. i didn't get overwhelming cravings and sometimes just the thought of smoking seemed foreign, like a distant memory. feel free to write if you need a pep talk. i still do.

Olivia

2/19/09 2:15pm

Hi I am totally new to this site but I'm hoping that support might help me rid myself of the slavery to cigarettes. I know the ill effects of this nasty weed ,what it is doing to my heart, lungs, SKIN. I don/t feel good about myself, weak, dependent. I can relate to the previous lady who has been smoking for 38 yrs. I have been killing myself by smoking for 36 years. Time to grow up and deal with this horrid addiction. I swear I will not buy anymore smokes. HELP out there

Olivia

2/19/09 2:15pm

Gary

2/23/09 4:32pm

Hi, I am Gary and I have smoked for 38 years. I was always looking for a good time to quit but I finally relalized there was never going to be a good time to stop smoking. I have been smoke free now for 3 weeks. It is not easy to remain smoke free but you can do it if you remain strong to your reasons for wanting to quit. Smoking is a terrible addiction to nicotine and to the mental pleasures that go along with the addiction. I managed to quit by cutting down to a few cigerettes a day and by staying smoke free for a desginated time period during the day. After a couple weeks of cutting down I decided to give quitting a try and here it is 3 weeks without a cigerrette. I miss my addiction but I keep reminding myself of why I wanted to quit in the first place. Exercise and rest will help you through the tough times. Stay positive, don't give up.

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