Cigarette Free Since 9/7/12!!!

[timothyjmcneeley]

I'm 29 years old, I've been smoking since I was 14. I am proud to say: "Cigarette Free Since 9/7/12!!!"

[Piper]

Congratulations. I smoked for 36 years, and quit for the final time in Sept. of '99. Don't let any backsliding shake your resolve, it can be done. I "quit" numerous times before the final one. I used to tell folks that quitting was easy, I do it several times a year. It's staying off them that's hard. Be aware of situations in which the desire to smoke may be stronger than normal (morning coffee, beer after work, or whatever). When you do meet with some success, don't let yourself be fooled into thinking that you can have "just one" cigarette, for whatever reason. I don't miss the cigarettes at all, nor the occasional cigar I would smoke. But, I still greatly miss my pipe. However, I know that if I light up a pipe, I'll be buying cigarettes before the day's out. Good Luck!

[robthehiker]

Congrats and good luck. It's a nasty habit to try to kick but you can do it!

[Friday]

Congratulations every trip starts with the first step, in this case it is often a hard step but you have started! Keep us informed of your progress.

[piperdbh]

Kudos to you! I've not had one in a while, too.

[Mael Coluim]

You have done the #1 change of a personal habit to improve your overall health! As well as those around you. Well done!

[Riverkilt]

Its worth it! My nicotine addiction got so bad I gave myself nicotine poisoning chain smoking cigars and inhaling...quit in 1974 after multiple attempts. Keep on quitting until it takes.

Used to teach smoking cessation groups for the American Cancer Society at our local hospital. Lots of support out there if you want/need it.

There are two levels of the addiction - chemical and behavioral. If you can quit for 24 hours you can stay quit - that's the chemical addiction. The rough one is the behavioral addiction. Nearly 40 years later if I put a ciggie in my hand I still have all the same ritual moves...tapping the tobacco down, lighting up, how I hold it, how I flick the ash....scary.

When I smoked I wondered what non-smokers did with their hands. Now I wonder how smokers can do anything with a ciggie in their hands.

And, of course, your kilts are gonna smell a LOT better...

Keep on keepin' on...it really really really is worth it not to be a "corporate slave" to big tobacco anymore.

[timothyjmcneeley]

Thank you all for the support. I'm taking it one day at a time!

[GMan]

Good for you!!!

[Dale Seago]

Congratulations! It can be tough, but it can be done; just take it a day at a time.

I used Nicorette gum to quit; but then stayed on the gum for another couple of years because I liked it and figured it at least was "harm reduction" compared to smoking. What got me off that was the need for a new hip due to the cartilage in the right one having gone away for no reason that could be determined. The medical team wanted me off nicotine altogether at least 2 weeks before the surgery; the primary reason was that nicotine in your system slows the healing process. (Somehow I'd never realized that.)

That was an immediately persuasive and compelling reason to drop the gum and never look back. I was back working in the office, though using a cane, after 11 calendar days (not 11 work days) off. Nine weeks after the surgery I was doing 2 & 1/2 mile hikes in the hills, and was caught on video doing koshi nage (hip throws) on one of my black belts in the dojo. (Fortunately my surgeon never saw it, he would've thought I was pushing too hard.) At ten weeks I was teaching at an outdoor martial arts seminar:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...1&l=758514bb29

I'm thinkin' there's a good chance I wouldn't have had that sort of progress had I still been using nicotine.

Keep going!! And if you happen to slip and fall. . .get up and keep going some more. As long as you get up more often than you fall down, you'll make it.