If someone had told me on my Day One back on 09/27/12 that I would be celebrating this milestone today, I don't know if I would have believed them. I KNEW I was ready to quit forever. I KNEW I had done all the reading and the preparation exercises. I KNEW I had already made friends here on EX as my Quit Date approached. I felt confident. I felt ready. The scales had tipped; I knew I wanted to NOT smoke more than I wanted TO smoke.
But...1000 days without a cigarette? The very idea boggled my mind. I couldn't even imagine it.
So I quit at 11am on 9/27/12. (I had already had one failed attempt at Day One three days earlier.) I had my last cigarette standing at the employee bus stop at Dulles Airport that morning. As the bus approached, I threw the rest of my pack in the trash can, along with my cute little pink lighter from Paris. (I think I had a harder time getting rid of the cute Parisian lighter than I did getting rid of the cigarettes!)
I wore a really cute homemade sign on the lapel of my uniform that day. It was a bit larger than a business card. I used a picture similar to my avatar and it said, "I quit smoking today. Please encourage me!" On my three flights that day, I was the Greeter during boarding. I couldn't believe the amount of notice that little sign got. I got so many comments, smiles and congratulations that day. It was absolutely instrumental in getting me through that first day. But to be honest, I didn't dare think beyond Day One.
I remember having nothing to DO in my hotel room that night. Usually, I spent the evening going in and out of the hotel to their smoking area until it was bedtime. But I was on a real high on Day One and I remember thinking, "Hey, this isn't so bad!".
Day Two was similar to Day One; on the plane and in the hotel.
But on Day Three, the day that the last of the nicotine leaves your body, I got home from my trip. I spent the afternoon pacing around my condo like a caged animal. I was frantic. Climbing the walls. Finally, I stopped paying attention to my withdrawal symptoms and I remembered some of the best advice I had ever been given about how to handle those first few days. That advice was to "change things up", to do things differently, to try new things, to switch up my routine, to go places that I didn't associate with smoking. Ah-HAH! To go places that not only did I not associate with smoking, but that didn't even allow smoking! So I did. I took my iPad and sat in the Barnes & Noble bookstore for about four hours, madly blogging and messaging on EX. Somehow, after four hours, the frenetic feelings subsided enough for me to go home. I had gotten SO much on-the-spot support from all of you that third afternoon. I know I wouldn't have made it through that afternoon without my wonderful friends here.
After that, I started stacking up the days. It wasn't easy. I had health issues related to withdrawal. I had bad days and good days. But I began to believe that it really DID get a bit easier with each passing day. I bit a LOT of lemons during those first couple of weeks. I did simple household tasks to distract me when a craving would hit. (I had the best organized junk drawer and the cleanest toilets in the world during those days!) I found that if I could do ANYTHING other than pay attention to a craving when it started, those few minutes would NOT be agonizing. It's such a simple concept, but it is so effective. I've written many blogs about lists of distractions, haven't I?
One glorious day, I realized that I hadn't even THOUGHT about cigarettes the previous day. I have no memory of what number day that was.
And, while I've had passing thoughts of cigarettes over time, that's all they've been; thoughts and memories. The quality of my life dramatically improved when I quit smoking. No, it wasn't easy. (And I always apologize to Allen Carr when I say that--lol) It was difficult. But I was committed. And I LISTENED to every single piece of advice I got here on EX because I knew that the EXers who had already achieved what I wanted to achieve were my very best resources and my invaluable support system.
So, here I am, ONE THOUSAND days later. I'm happier, I'm healthier (my lungs are, anyway!), I'm proud of myself, my wallet is a bit fuller, I've made life-long friends and I've added months to my life. Is there anything in that list that isn't worth more than a cigarette???
So, to all the new Quitters, to all the new members who haven't quit yet, and to all those who have joined EX and read the blogs but haven't made themselves known to us yet: YOU CAN DO THIS, TOO. One thousand days ago, I was EXACTLY where you are today; I was scared, I was unsure, I felt I would be losing something important. I get it. But If I could do it, so can YOU. As I have said a hundred times here on EX, YOUR nicotine addiction is no stronger or harder to beat than any of OUR nicotine addictions were. You CAN quit forever. And you will never, ever, ever regret any discomfort you may go through to get to your freedom. I promise.
Thank you to ALL the people here who have touched my life and helped me gain my freedom from nicotine. I couldn't have done it without all of you. And I can keep doing it because I have all of you here on EX. I'm so very, very, very grateful. I love you all.
xxxooo, Sky
