Hi Exville Peeps

[jooch]

Hi Everybody,

I have not been on this site in a very long time.  I've been reading the posts and its good for me to see the struggles of the newcomers as this addiction to nicotine is cunning, baffling and powerful.  All it takes is one puff to knock you out of recovery.  A lot has happened since my quit.  I have two new knees, a fused foot and ankle (tweaked a second time) my hubby has two new knees too. My parents are no longer living down the street from me and are now staying with my sister in Indiana. 

All I need to do is look at my 80+ year old mom and that sustains my quit.  She cannot breathe without help from oxygen and various breathing treatments.  She is frail, thin, has no interest in life other than using her oxygen, and nebulizer. Believe it or not she still SMOKES!  You would think that not being able to breathe from emphysema, COPD and congestive heart failure would cause you to pause and examine your choices and stop using the very thing initiating the illnesses. NO!  After a stint in the hospital for a month with no cigarettes, the first thing she did upon release was light up.  The saddest part about this whole thing is that when she was first diagnosed with emphysema she warned me to stop smoking because she did it to her self.  Then she would hide her cigarettes from my dad and smoke. I am sad.  I am powerless over her addiction and what my sister allows in her home.  

Everyday that I am clean from nicotine is a day to be grateful and rejoice that I can breathe with no issues, no artificial help.  It's truly a gift!  No longer do I have to be filled with anxiety over how many cigarettes are left in my pack, the price jacking up, where the cherry to my cigarette flew, where my lighter is. Today, I am free from this nonsensical habit.  What I thought use to help relieve pain, chaos and anxiety was really a culprit in making it worse. 

The past few years I have continued recovery working on my mental, emotional, spiritual and physical transformation utilizing the 12 steps, serenity prayer, slogans, books, groups, people, sponsor, physical activities and renovating our home - one day at a time.  I am truly blessed to have so many tools in my tool box.   

It's been a while since I've blogged and I couldn't figure out how at first. I need to make time to explore this site more and stay in touch with YOU as that is how I was able to stay quit the very first year which was the hardest.  I lived on this site the first days, weeks and months.  I cannot take my quit for granted.

Happy New Year to All of You Ex Ville Peeps.  Sending you blessings, prayers and good vibes on your continued efforts to stay quit.

Love

Jooch  

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Thank you for taking the time to share your story. Congratulations on your continued  freedom. Don't stay away to long.  We could use a voice like yours. 

[anaussiemom]

May you continue to blossom, in your triumphs.  Congratulations on your quit.  

[indingrl]

Hi Jooch welcome back and thanks for udate on you and family.... its fantastic your tool box and how you use all tools God has blessed you with and CONGRATS on staying nicotine free by the grace of God go you seeing your mom suffer the active CHOICE of using nicotine MY friend used nicotine until it took her life so did MY other friend who forgot his oxygen was on when he went to use nicotine and set his face in fire he die using... for ME it is only by Gods grace cuz I saw with MY own eyes they died and I didnt quit using nicotine either only for ME I begged MY Lord Jesus to take MY nicotine addiction long story short MY Lord Jesus did and only by Gods grace He blessed ME with 7 continuos years of nicotine freedom in him and I TRY to help the next suffering nicotine addict by STAYING QUIT with ALL here TOGETHER WE will and please keep on keeping on I learned that from the STAYING QUIT MIKE IN ATLANTA HE HELPED ME 7 YEARS AGO.. he too REMAINS QUIT and they taught ME here NOT ONE PUFF OVER ME!!! no matter what its so good to hear from you Jooch

[YoungAtHeart]

I see you have a celebration due tomorrow - I think?  FIVE years?!!!  I have 5 1/2 years, so we were newbies together.

GREAT that you stopped in to share your success story.  Those who are newly quit need these testimonials to know we aren't kidding about how wonderful freedom from this addiction is!!!

It would be stupendous if you could stick around!

Nancy

[minihorses]

I'm sorry to hear about your mom.  My mother-in-law was forced to quit smoking when she went on oxygen because she was living in a nursing home and they wouldn't let her smoke.  It's dangerous to smoke around an oxygen bottle or oxygen concentrator since they can explode.  Does your sister know that because I doubt she'd allow your mom to continue smoking anywhere in or near her home for the sake of putting her own family in danger?  Unfortunately you will never be able to change your mom's behavior because she knows it's her choice and to be honest she probably has the old  'smoking is killing me and I probably won't be alive a whole lot longer so I might as well keep smoking and enjoy what's left of my life' attitude.  It's sad but we can't make anyone change no matter how much we'd like to, even out of love.  She really did want you to quit so you don't have to go through what she is, she just can't/won't do it for herself.  That's a mother's love of her children.  

I'm so glad to hear that you have stayed quit!  You chose the reboot on life and are proof that we can all stay smoke free as long as we continue to work on it!  

Julie

[freeneasy]

Glad to hear from you jooch.  You and I are both from the quit class of Jan 2013. Happy New Year and hope you have a great year.

[Giulia]

It is so great to see you!!!   Wow, two new knees, fused foot and ankle... sounds like you've been having a time of it.  I'm beginning to think we should form a club for all those who have new knees.  There are several and some of us are heading in that direction in the not too distant future.  I hope you have found them beneficial.  Sorry to hear about your mom, though.  That's hard.  

Hope you stick around a while.  If you need help you can always PM me.  The following link might help too:  https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/community/community-help/blog/2017/02/14/ex-to-ex-instructions   Cheers!

[elvan]

Good to hear from you...actually good to MEET you, I don't think I have met you...I am coming up on 4 years in a week.  I have emphysema but I am not smoking.  I cannot imagine lighting up a cigarette now...you are right that you cannot stop your mother but I am so sorry that she is still smoking.  I have a friend whose father has congestive heart failure and has had many hospitalizations, he is on oxygen...supposedly 24/7 but he turns it off to smoke.  She smokes too so there is no reaching either of them.  

I hope you and your husband are doing well with your knee replacements...can't imagine the fused ankle, that has to make getting around difficult, to say the least.

Congratulations on your five years, I do hope to hear more from you, Giulia is a pro.

Welcome back,

Ellen

[shashort]

Hi nice to meet you as well. Thanks for sharing your story with us. Wow you have been through a lot and stayed smober through it all how impressive.  I feel your pain with your mom as my mom did the same thing, although she refused the oxygen because she couldn't smoke being on oxygen.  It was so hard to watch her struggle with breathing. She had renal cancer that metasized to lung, emphazema and smoke all the way to cigarettes took her breath forever.  The sad part is or was that I seen myself becoming just like my mom continuing to smoke even though I couldn't breathe. I am forever grateful to this group helping me to quit and now I am enjoying freedom an able to breathe better and participate in physical activities again. How great this freedom is. Welcome back.