A little about me

[lisa-a-foster]

I'm a 44 year young woman. I've been smoking for 30 years. I've always been the picture of perfect health. I don't even get colds in the winter. A couple of weeks ago my Dr. found a heart murmur. He sent me to have a heart echo done. Turns out I have a significant aortic insuffiency. Who would have thought? I have three grown children and we love to go on all kinds of outdoor adventures. Hiking, canoeing, swimming, and fishing, just anything to be active outdoors.  We love to garden, raise chickens and little goats. This news came as quite a shock, seeing as how there are really no symptoms until it is almost to late. I have to quit smoking so we can continue having our wonderful adventures. I'm going to the Dr. today for a follow up and to discuss the different medications to help me quit smoking. Through the years I have tried the different over the counter products, to no avail. I smoked while wearing the patch. I know, it's terrible. I'm leaning towards Chantix. I don't know, we'll see what the Dr. says.

[Dotgirl_1-28-16]

Welcome Lisa!!! You're in the right place. I suggest that you follow the steps on this site to educate yourself on addiction and take the steps that will prepare you for a successful quit. You are not alone, there are many of us that were where you are now. Good luck at the doctors! Again welcome Anna!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! Just saying no a day at a time...never take another puff

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

I can relate!  I had myself believing that if I ate a healthy diet and exercised every day I could negate the bad effects of smoking. If I wasn't swimming laps for 40 minutes, I was taking hour-long walks.   That junkie thinking was proved wrong when I had artery blockages!!  I used Chantix to quit - although I only took it for three weeks and was then hospitalized.  When I came out, I didn't know what dose to use, so I stopped altogether. 

The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. Here is a link to a free PDF version of it:

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

As well, read the sections on this site, and read the blogs, responses and pages of folks you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com and quitsmokingonline.com for the good information contained there. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested on this site

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different.

You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.  Don't let that smoking thought rattle around your head alone.  Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

Nancy

[CatsRsmart]

Yes, Welcome. You are definitely in the right place. For me personally, I stopped smoking last year for 4mths wearing the patch. When things got stressful encough I easily picked up smoking again, as I was still getting nicotine. I used to think "cold turkey" ?? what are you crazy?? I can't do that. I "need" my fix. I'm 53, smoked since teenager. Our community makes all the difference. Read, Read, Read, Blog, Blog, Blog.

I read enough times and enough places to finally buy it.Cold turkey, some say smart turkey.  Nicotine only stays in your body 72hrs. The rest is in our habits and in our heads. That's my simple version. Easy? Not always. When you are ready. 1. make the decision and 2. never doubt your decision. (n.o.p.e.) not one puff ever. Give your self time. Time to detox and time to relearn life without sickerettes. It is doable. Our community is proof. Also I found Allen Carr Videos on googleplay for android. (15 short videos) cost 4.99. less than a pack here.

However you decide to stop is up to you. We are all different. What we have in common is the important thing. You can do this. Stay close to this site. 

 Cats @ 45 DOF

[lisa-a-foster]

Thank you so much for the advice. I will look up these sites and follow the link you posted. I spend quite a lot of time alone, so any advice and information I can get will be greatly appreciated.

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Hi, Lisa! Welcome! 

You are in the right place. Nicotine Replacement Meds and Prescription Quit Smoking Meds are wonderful tools and some folks find them enecessary to assist in their Quit Journey. But without education and support even these tools have very low success rates. Please do the reading and learn about Nicotine Addiction and recovery. You'll find that very little of recovery has to do with meds. It's more about Focus and Determination!

We can show you how to Quit and Stay Quit!

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Nicotine is out of your system in 3 days but, there are 2-3 weeks of discombobulation,

[blaquequeen83]

Welcome Welcome!! Were here if ya need us!

[elvan]

Welcome, education and support are keys to quitting and staying quit.  Stay close to this site, read everything you can, set up a quit kit..list your triggers for smoking and how strong the crave is...THEN, PLAN for what you will do INSTEAD of smoking.  I can tell you that it was amazingly helpful for me.  

You can do this, you certainly have the incentive!

[TerrieQuit]

Welcome to EX! I am glad you are here! This community will support you! Please do the suggested readings, they are important if you want to have success. Commit to you quit! Promise not to put a cigarette in your mouth and just don't! NO MATTER WHAT! Stay close to this site, we are here for you! You can do this! Have you quit or set a quit date? Please keep us posted!

I Won't Quit on my Quit!

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Also check out www.whyquit.com.  There is a lot of additional beneficial information to read and study.  Look for Freedom From Nicotine My Journey Home and Nicotine Addiction 101.  

http://whyquit.com/whyquit/LinksAAddiction.html

http://whyquit.com/ffn/

Both were extremely helpful for me.  Stay close to the site and learn, ask questions. Read the blogs and most of all enjoy your commitment to quit smoking.

If you should need something to do here is a link that will help

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...).

[Strudel]

Hi and welcome to the site! Be sure to check out the Carr book Nancy gave you! Plus - stick around here! You can do this!! 

[Kimshine]

Hi Lisa and WELCOME! You have great reading and great advice above! Quitting isn't always easy for everyone. The decision to stop is easy enough but sometimes some things we go through aren't so easy. I cried for nearly a month and I had trouble sleeping. Be ready to deal with whatever quitting offers you. We will be here to support you along the way. Definitely read the Allen Carr book Nancy gave you!

[dpop]

Hello and welcome!

[mtc]

Hi LIsa and Welcome, this is an amazing community of positive people who really understand how hard quitting is. I had similiar health issues, and ended with clear lungs but with COPD, I am 54 but darn it we can do this and you will, just commit to one day, one minute at time. You can do this and dont give up!!

The hardest step is asking for help and coming here, I am so proud of you and hope we can become friends.

I also did chantix for bit and am here to support you!!!