I'd Murder For A Bloody Fag

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I WANT A CIGARETTE. NOW. MY LUNGS ARE HANGING OUT HERE. MUST SMOKE. NEED NICOTINE. MIND STRONG. BODY WEAK. MUST…FIGHT…URGE…

Yep, it’s quitting time again. I finally made the decision a few days ago, as a kind of belated New Year’s resolution, and thus far it’s been four days without one. Four long, barren, twitching, agitated days. Four desparate days. I’m ready to commit violent acts of dismemberment on my nearest and dearest without provocation, I feel like I’d gnaw off a limb for a drag, but I’m hanging tough here: I’m going to beat this bloody thing.

I’ve made a few half-hearted attempts in the past, but always relapsed because I never really wanted to quit - despite all the medical horrors, I like smoking. I had it in mind that I’d quit “someday”, but someday never quite came. I turned 25, 30, 35, my son was born, and I still kept on smoking away. Over 15 years of blithely puffing away, troubled only by the occasional good intention.

Until the other day, when I found little case pretending to smoke. I always nip out after dinner for a post-prandial fag, but when I came in my 4 year old son was sitting on the floor, miming smoking with a ballpoint pen. Mea bloody culpa. I can’t tell him not to do what Daddy does, and what the hell kind of example am I setting for a child anyway?

Come to think about it, I’d kinda like to be around when he grows up. I’m ashamed to see him watch me doing this. I’m sick of waking up with a sore throat in the morning, and that little cough that’s starting to creep in. I can’t even remember what things smell like anymore. I want to taste my food. I’m spending 10 bucks every couple of days to slowly poison myself. I must be out of my bloody mind.

Yep, time to quit. Encouragement, sympathy and commiseration welcomed. NOW STOP TYPING SO BLOODY LOUDLY, YOU NOISY BASTARDS!

2

That’s funny, my fags don’t get that bloody until after I murder them. Some people say I’m not trying hard enough.*

I feel your pain, brother. I quit smoking for my girlfriend and her son at the beginning of the year, and there were a couple times when I was really clawing at the wall–although overall I don’t think I had it nearly as bad as most people do–but if you stick it through it’ll be gone in a few weeks. I quit on the 1st and I don’t even think about them anymore. Case, you’re good people, and you’ve got great motivation; you’ll kick this thing’s arse. Good luck, man.

*Yeah, I’m goin’ to hell.

3

One day at a time, Case, one day at a time. Trite, but true. All strength to you.

4

Good luck! Keep going, perhaps you could take up knitting to give your twitching hands something to do during the worst times :).

5

I’m nearly three years smoke-free now. :cool: So you see, it can be done. Hang in there!

6

I have a handful of cigs left, and then I’m going cold turkey, so I’ll be feeling your pain very soon. This is the most serious I’ve been about quitting since starting 17 (!) years ago. I don’t know if my approach of “smoke the last of the cigs then go cold-turkey” is the best one, and I don’t know if it will work, but for the first time ever, I really want it to work, and I actually want to quit. Not some half-hearted, “Yeah, I oughta quit, let’s go through some hokey motions”, this time, I am going to quit.

And it is going to suck very much.

7

It’s 26 years since I gave up smoking but I can still remember that feeling. It does get easier. Your lungs will thank you, your son will thank you and your wallet will thank you for giving up.

8

I can send encouragement (Go, you!!) and sympathy (awwww, poor baby…) but commiseration would be hollow. My vice is chocolate, not nicotine. Still, I know how hard it is to change a habit, even a long-time one. Congrats for taking the first big step. Keep the image of your young 'un in mind when times get tough. And know that you can do it.

You know you’re doing the right thing - let your self-righteousness carry you along! :smiley: Best of luck to you. Have a carrot stick.

9

Great. Now I want a cigarettte, and I don’t even smoke. :smiley:

Good luck to you.

10

Here’s sending a bit of strength your way. I have never smoked habitually (just a few cigs with friends in HS), but my mother smoked for nearly 30 years, trying to quit at least 3 or 4 times before finally kicking it. She had quite a few days like you’re having now in the beginning, but after the cravings let up a bit, it was much easier to keep away. Within a year, her health had improved dramatically (not that she was ill all the time, but her yearly bout of bronchitis went away and never returned). She is enjoying life much more now, with the better smells, the increased ability to breathe clear. She had it bad too…even her mother dying of lung cancer didn’t make her quit…took another 7 years before she finally made it stick. It’s now been 10 years smoke free for her, and I couldn’t be prouder of her. Keep it up! Your son will thank you!

11

As a life long Nonsmoker, and someone who has buried her father ( lung cancer) and three brothers ( emphysema related deaths) I wish you strength during your weakest moments.

It isn’t one day at a time, it is one moment at a time. says the nonaddictive personality.

Watching someone slowly suffocate to death is a complete and total buzzkill, my friend. Imagine putting your kids through that. Now imagine your adult children signing the paperwork to remove lifesupport from your heart diseased/stroke / emphysema’d body. And imagine them saying, “You were a good man, but why couldn’t you stop smoking?!”

Besides killing yourself in microscopically small steps every day, your stinkin’ up the place. Yechhhhh.
Shirley’s New Agey Kharmic Advice That You Will Ignore Because You Are Grouchy.

I’ve always felt that one of the reasons why the body goes through withdrawl so hard from a nasty drug as nicotine ( and other unreported drugs/chemicals in the cancer sticks) is that the person is expecting it to suck and does nothing to stop the suckage, as it were. Kinda a martyr-co dependant thing, if you ask me.

Double down on some really good multivitamins every morning and one for dinner. Drink loads of V-8 or other vitamin enriched drinks. Flood your body with good stuff so that your body is too busy going, " Hey, what is this? Vitamins A and C and D…ooooh, my bones need that after all those cigerettes! Ooooooooh, I know where those go…Ooooooh, niacin for my skin! Ooooooh YAY someone is taking care of me …"

I would also, to completely throw your system off, for that first week, take a laxative every day so that your system is really busy and you purge your innards of everything. Your body will shift into overdrive for elimination and possibly take the edge off cravings. I’m guessing your body will probably have issues with pooping now because of no nicotine until your system is purged. Besides, don’t you deserve a good dump today?

If you can take aspirin, take the kind with caffeine in it every morning to just rev the system up and have an analgesic in there for a preventative headache.

(This method works wunderbar for me when I de-caff myself a couple times a year. And I can’t have The Morning Poop without my coffee. The vitamin/laxative/aspirin combo have kept me from having headaches.)

.

Instead of sleeping pills, (Cause your probably having insomnia, right?) which can have a hungover effect in the AM, nip on down to the health food store and find either Valerian Root Tea or Valerian tablets. It is a natural sleeping aid. ( I’ve used both and have had my dog use the capsules during thunderstorms. Works like a charm…YMMV.)

To help with the oral fixation, licorice would be a good substitute. Also, Altoids Licorice, VHTF, are awesome and they are also a natural cough suppressant. I am not a smoker, and I can’t to the Altoid mint/cinnamon or ginger ones because they are too strong for me, but I love the licorice. It is nearly burning, but not quite. It is a pleasant pleasure/pain principal. I would think something like that would be a pleasant shock to the dulled tastebuds.
Again, I wish you strength to overcome this nasty, stinky, expensive lung crushing dragon.

I’m sorry for typing so loud. :smiley:

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Altoids Licorice 6 tins, free shipping, via ebay. I just may buy these myself. you best not tarry!

13

My father-in-law is at home right now, dying of cancer, caused by smoking. I’ll be surprised if he lasts till summer. As far as I know, he’s still smoking.

I’ve made several attempts to quit since my daughter was born in July of 2002, including a stunning 18 months smoke-free that ended in the spring of 2004. I’ve had several relapses, but I have not stopped trying to quit since then.

It has been several months since I’ve smoked regularly. Since September or October of last year, I can recall two occassions when I smoked - both times when out with old friends for dinner and drinks. I spent a month or two before that just smoking 1 or 2 cigarettes a day, trying to wean myself.

My point (if there is one) is that it’s a tough habit to break, and tough to keep off 'em for good. Keep at it and don’t get discouraged. Good luck!

14

Okay, I’m with you all then. Pack a day, here. Yesterday I chose today as the day. For the previous two weeks it’s been on my mind, but yesterday I decided on today. When I woke up I wanted to put it off another day. This thread helped me see that there is no “another” day. I spent much time yesterday looking over internet resources to help me.

I’m a little scared. I’m doing my normal morning routine, only when I get up to leave today, the smokes will stay here. Three days to a week will be the worst of it, according to some of the sites I read yesterday.

I really don’t want to do it, I enjoy smoking. But I know I must. For cost and for health.

Thanks for some of the encouraging posts above. It will serve as inspiration in the future when things get rough. Along with that I’ve decided that I’ll do push-ups when the world seems as it’s bleakest, and I’ll also go for a walk and use those newly cleared lungs.

Wish me luck.

15

I Feel your pain, Brother!
25 year smoker. Quit 3 monthes, 3 weeks, 2 days ago.
Savings in money:$1200 (Canadian)
Ciggies not smoked:3443 :eek: (I swear, I usta do more than Just Smoke)

Just for shits and giggles, Download one of those Free Counters like Silkquit.
Check it every so often, for surprizing results.

Congratulations, Case Sense.
"I’ll Promise you Anything, Get me out of this Hell. Cold Turkey, has got me, on the run…" J. Lennon

“And I curse Sir Walter Raleigh, He was such a stupid Git” Also John Lennon…

I think I’m seeing a pattern…

Get ya some Gum…Lotsa friggin’ Sugarless Gum…

16

Good luck to you, too, Sgt.Pepper!

I’ve heard that when the craving hits, it helps to purse your lips like you’re going to whistle, but you inhale deeply instead. I don’t know if it works, but it’s free, so worth a try, right? And it’s not as noisy as crunching carrot sticks.

17

Six months smoke free here. God, I feel good. I’m not hacking anymore. I don’t stink. (Believe me, once your sense of smell comes back, you’ll know when a smoker’s coming your way. Bleh!) I’ve got some extra cash in my pocket (About $30.00 a week!!!) And, best of all, my husband didn’t die from that heart attack and he’s quit, too.

Keep up the good work case and sgt. p. You’ll be SO glad you did. You’ll get through it.

18

For those of you who have quit (or tried to), would you recommend that Case use nicotine patches or gum or whatever?

My mother had her last cigarette the day she went into the hospital to have her left lung removed. They slapped a patch on her before she came out of anesthesia. IIRC, she used them for a number of weeks - helped by the fact that she was in the hospital, then in rehab for 2+ weeks, and literally could not get a cigarette. I believe the patches helped with quitting. She never had another cigarette.

unfortunately, it was too late; the cancer came back a year later and did not respond to chemo/radiation. But I believe her last 18 months were better than if she had not quit even at that late date

19

Best of luck, Case and Sgt. Pepper! Are either of you trying the nicotine patches or gum? The patches helped me a great deal. I’m 3 years and 5 months smoke free!

CubHubby is currently using the patches to quit using dip. He’s less cranky than other times when he’s tried to quit.

Reward yourself frequently for your hard work. Hang in there, it’s all worth it.

20

Couple of problems with patches and gum:

The patches will rip the skin off your lips, and the gum won’t light! :smiley:

I had to, I just had to…