Three Weeks, Three Days and Four Hours Since I've Smoked a Cigarette - Some Thoughts

1. Nicotine gum does help; it helps you disassociate the buzz of nicotine from the actions you'd normally take to get it.

2. The instructions that come with nicotine gum should rightfully be discarded if they will have you taking in 2x the amount of nicotine than you'd normally get from smoking in a day. Better to just go with what you need.

3. I can't/won't say I have quit smoking. I'm not smoking these days.

4. It's nice to not have to clear my throat every 30 seconds.

5. It's nice to have less reason for a tongue scraper.

6. It sucks to have all of your smoking routines messed with.
a. Drive to work; light a smoke (I don't mind losing that one)
b. Fill the coffee maker; go outside and have a smoke (I liked that one).
c. Get stuck in an obstacle at work; go outside & think & have a smoke (I like that one, too).
d. Finish a meal; have a smoke (ambivalent).

7. When the wanting comes on, it's way easier to shake it off by thinking of how good it would feel to have a smoke until my mind wanders to a different subject on its own, than it is to shake off by trying to suppress the pleasurable thoughts.

8. If every nicotine addict did what I'm doing right now, there would be gaping holes in every state's budget where tobacco taxes used to be.

Three weeks is an accomplishment to be proud of, congrats hang in there.

I did. I put it down to not being poisoned by carbon monoxide any more.

Especially in the morning. I don't know if I would attribute that to more energy or less concentration.

:applause:

That's an accomplishment to be proud of. I can make the four hours part...

I think I have one of those 'if a schmuck like me can do it ...' mentalities. To each, in his or her own time.

:rofl:

:hi:

it will be two years as of August 3

I've "saved" $5,569.75 since I quit smoking. How 'bout you? (see: www.quitmeter.com):)

Those intrusive thoughts about cigarettes will eventually disappear. Keep up the good work! :thumbsup:

I'm about a pack a day ...

Time Smoke-Free: 9 days, 20 hours, 20 minutes and 50 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 394
Lifetime Saved: 3 days
Money Saved: $54.00

And yup yup to all you said.

I tried several times in different ways for the last few months, and am using the nicotine gum along with wellbutrin.

I don't know what the welbutrin is doing but the gum rules. I find it easier to fight the habit part. The coffee smoke, driving smoke, computer smoke, beer smoke, wine smoke, supper smoke... Those "wants" are lessening but they are there.

I started saving the gum I've chewed hehe. I got tired of worrying about throwing it away. I may make a monument lol

Good on you for hanging in there!

:yourock:

Was that I did this before getting on a place for 8 days of vacation, so I was off the normal routine to begin with.

Smoking stiffens the silia in your air passages. The silia, when working properly, sweep out the crap that you inhale.

In the next week or so, as the silia become flexible and functional again, they will try to sweep out some of the crap you've inhaled over the years, and you'll cough. You'll even cough up some crap.

Don't let that thwart your efforts to quit. It's not a set-back. It's good progress.

Aside from the normal loogies?

Great.

I quit cold turkey on March 4 and haven't given in to a craving yet - although driving and traffic is still the biggest obstacle for me. That was my time to smoke...

I can't imagine trying to start cold turkey.

As it is, I take in about 1 mg a day with the gum. (The instructions would have me taking 20! Yikes!)

I am so amazingly proud of all who quit. It is one tough addiction.

another random thought: the likelihood of being shackled to an oxygen generator in the future is greatly reduced, it is not a good life.

The gaping hole left by tobacco taxes would be filled by the money not spent on Medicare/Medicaid for the lung and heart disabled persons.

I grew up in the heart of Tobacco Subsidy Land, every life was touched by it in some way. I hate the damn stuff and I never smoked.