I hopped on the GUS bus 12/30/2011, & I feel good. Coughing stopped the 1st day. I had chronic bronchitis for years & took generic Mucinex almost daily with marginal relief. I was always self-conscious about smelling like stale smoke, & I could smell it on others, because I rinsed, sucked mints & washed my hands after smoking. But I didn't smoke too much away from home. It was when I got home & parked my carcass in the garage w/ the 'puter on that the smokestack fired up in earnest. I finally relocated the computer last week. As long as it was still in the old spot, computing was kept brief.
Smoking was like a real long marriage for me. The one constant relationship of my adulthood. We married when I was sixteenish. Here's how it ended:
I made a New Years' resolution, (rare for me), 1/1/11, that I would quit smoking in 2011. Anytime in 2011 was good. I procrastinate, so naturally I waited till almost the last minute. But during the year I gave up some triggers. Morning smoke, after meal smoke, in the car. I had help with that last one, since the old car got wrecked & the new one had never been smoked in. I got nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, & a few anti-anxiety pills, & prepared myself emotionally for the d-i-v-o-r-c-e.
12/29 I bought 3 packs & planned to smoke myself so sick I wouldn't be able to even look at a cig for 24 hours afterward. But I couldn't smoke them all & there's still more than a pack where I left them that morning. I don't look at them longingly. I'll give them to a smoking friend this week. 6 AM was cut off time, & I think I lasted till 5. I put on a patch so I wouldn't have an urge when I awoke, & went to sleep.
By the second or third day I picked up a disposable e-cig & stopped the patches. I've been vaping ever since. So I'm still maintaining my nicotine addiction, but I've spoken to a few MDs who agree that nicotine is the least bad thing about smoking. And e-cigs are just glycerine or propylene glycol, which are used in inhalers, with nicotine added. The really bad parts of smoking are inhaling the chemicals, tar, and smoke.
The other least bad thing is the puffing. Doing this
won't hurt you, & it's hard to stop if you've done it every day for 40 years. I think of e-cigs as adult pacifiers. I will address the nicotine & hand/mouth ritual at my leisure.
The other thing I decided on is that I could eat & do anything as long as I wasn't smoking. Maintaining the nicotine helps to keep the metabolism high enough that the weight gain isn't too bad, but I have gained a size in 5 months. I've been more fond of sweets lately & they like to stick around. I have until the 6 month mark to carry on this way. Then the party's over.
I picked up an old hobby, crochet, which keeps my hands & mind engaged, & I've been really crocheting really a lot, lol. I plan to make a habit of swimming at the public pools & joining the other old ladies in water aerobics.
I've actually been having fun with this quit. I occasionally join my buddies at work on their smoke breaks, & vape my green lighted e-cig as they smoke. I may have taken half an Ativan prophylactically in the first few days, but haven't actually had any anxiety about this. It has gone very well, & I'm very happy.
There must be 49 other ways.
The GUS Buddy List:
1BQ, 3rdGenFeminist, Abra Crabcakeya, Actbriniel, addisnana, AfroPonix, aishmael, Alise, Alpha99, A Man Called Gloom, ambeeeant, American in Kathmandu, amk for obama, andsarahtoo, angry marmot, Anne933, anodnhajo, aoeu, aquarius2001, arcadesproject, Archie2227, arodb, Arthur Wolf (in memoriam), assyrian64, awkawk, b4uknowit, bamablue, BARAKABETH, barnowl, b barrie, bdizz, beatpanda, beefydaddy18, BFSkinner, bgblcklab1, BigAlinWashSt, Bike Crash, BirderWitch, BJKay, bleeding heart, blingbling65, blue husky, Blue Intrigue, bluedust, BluejayRN, BlueJessamine, Bluerall, bluestatedem84, BoiseBlue, boudi08, Brahman Colorado, breedlovinit, BrenP, Bronxist, BrowniesAreGood, bsmechanic, buddabelly, bumbi, BusyinCA, Carol in San Antonio, CathiefromCanada, CathodeRay, CDH in Brooklyn, cee4, Cen Den, ChiTownDenny, ChocolateChris, ChurchofBruce, ciganka, cinnamondog, citizenx, ClapClapSnap, Cleante, Code Monkey, codobus, Coldblue Steele, Colorado is the Shiznit, coloradomomma, common green, commonmass, Common Sense Mainer, congenitalefty, coppercelt, dadanation, dangoch, DarienComp, dauber, Dauphin, Dave in AZ, Dave in Northridge, deedogg, demkat620, Dexter, Diana in NoVa, Dickie, DiegoUK, Dingodude, dirtdude, distraught, djMikulec, dolfin66, donnamarie, Donna O, dotsright, DRo, droogie6655321, Dube, duckhunter, Eclectablog, Eddie C, EdgedInBlue, effervescent, elbamash, El barragas, el vasco, ericlewis0, Everest42, Ex Con, ezdidit, fhamme, Fineena, fiona2, fishhawk, Flea, flumptytail, fritzi56, FrugalGranny, Garrett, Gator, gchaucer2, GDbot, Geiiga, GenXangster, glpaul, gooderservice, gooners, gravlax, greylox, grndrush (in memoriam), GrumpyWarriorPoet, gzodik, Haole in Hawaii, HappyinNM, henlesloop, HeyMikey, hideinplainsight, High Tide, hiliner68, hold tight, hulibow, I love OCD, Im a frayed knot, imisa, Indexer, indubitably, indyada, Interceptor7, Inventor, I said GOOD DAY sir, itsbenj, Jahiz, JamesEB, janl1776, Janeo, JayinPortland, jayjaybear, jbou, Jeffersonian Democrat, jmadlc55, jmonch, Joes Steven (aka Steven), john07801, johngoes, johnny wurster, jsfox, JVolvo's Mom, jwinIL14, Kai99, kailuacaton, Kamakhya, kat herder, Kelly of PA, kestrel9000, khloemi, Khun David, Kitsap River, kittania, Kristina40, Ksholl, labwitchy, Lady Kestrel, ladypockt, Lahdee, langerdang, LarsThorwald, LA rupert, last starfighter, LaughingPlanet, Laurie Gator, Lipstick Liberal, litoralis, lmdonovan, lockewasright, Lonely Texan, longislandny, luvsathoroughbred, maggiemay, magicsister, mango, Marc in KS, Marjmar, Mark E Andersen (Kodiak54), marknspokane, marsanges, maryabein, Matt Esler, mdemploi, Meteor Blades, Micburke, michael1104, MillieNeon, minerva1157, MinervainNH, Missys Brother, mjbleo, MnRaindog, mntleo2, Morague, Mr Bojangles, mrsgoo, mskitty, msmacgyver, MsWings, Murphoney, nannyboyz, ncsuLAN, NearlyNormal, Nedsdag, Nick Zouroudis, notgivingup, NY brit expat, OleHippieChick, one pissed off democrat, Onomastic, operculum, OrangeMike, Ordvefa, Overseas, Over the Edge, Pager, paige, PaintyKat, paradox, parryander, paulitics, Pennsylvanian, phrogge prince, Positronicus, post rational, Proud Mom and Grandma, psycho liberal, ptolemynm, Purple Priestess, PvtJarHead, racheltracks, randallt, ray bob, real world chick, red mittens, Reepicheep, regis, relentless, revelwoodie, revsue, Rex Manning, rexymeteorite, RiaD, rickeagle, ridemybike, rightiswrong, Rileycat, rincewind, rkex, roadlion, Roger Fox, Rosebuddear, roses, rscopes, Rudini, Safina, SallyCat, Sanuk, Sark Svemes, sboucher, scooter in brooklyn, Scrapyard Ape, seenaymah, sfbob, sgary, Shahryar, sheddhead, shesaid, Shifty18, shmuelman, shopkeeper, sidious666, slowbutsure, smartcookienyc, smeesq, Smoh, snoopydawg, snorwich, SnyperKitty, SoCalHobbit, sofia, soonergrunt, sostos, sowsearsoup, SpecialKinFlag, spmozart, spotDawa, SpotTheCat, StateOfGrace, Statusquomustgo, stiffneck, sunbro, Super Grover, Syoho, tallmom, Tay, tdslf1, teknospaz, theatre goon, The Eyewitness Muse, TheGeneral, TheStoopingRabbit, TigerMom, tiredofcrap, TomP, tonyahky, Toyotabob7, TreeFrog, triciawyse, tripodisblack, trs, trueblueliberal, ttanner, Tulsonian, Turn VABlue, Turtle Bay, Tyto Alba, uc booker, UncleCharlie, Unduna, Unforgiven, ursoklevar, USArmyParatrooper, VA02 femocrat, Vacationland, valadon, Vayle, Vetwife, vgranucci, Village expects idiot home soon, waytac, webranding, weelzup, Wes Opinion, Whimsical Rapscallion, willy be frantic, willy mugobeer, Wood Dragon, wolfie1818, Wordsinthewind, Wreck Smurfy, x, xopher, yet another liberal, Zotz