Dave, You da man!
(Zyada gabs Dave and gives him a long, lingering kiss 
)
Can’t…catch…breath…Pants…Tight…!
Way to go everyone! I am smiling like the cheshire cat reading this and glad to have played a small part in it.
I just hit a month, and I am debating as to whether to renew my Zyban perscription. It’s $100 to do so, and I’m doing okay, plus I got two extra free weeks from samples.
I’ll decide tomorrow…
Someone feel free to sat a day aside for Satan! 
Yer pal,
Satan
TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
One month, 47 minutes and 45 seconds.
1201 cigarettes not smoked, saving $150.16.
Life saved: 4 days, 4 hours, 5 minutes.
Jeannie, we chatted earlier on AIM, but I was in such a lousy mood that I didn’t really tell you how proud I am that you’ve done so well this time around. It’s especially important that you stick with this, given your medical situation. So don’t give up the fight, whatever you do!
Cristi, you did great today! Yes, I think having a cold has contributed some to your lack of cravings. But also, didn’t you say you were wearing the patch? You really won’t (or shouldn’t) be going through any withdrawals at this point because you’re still getting nicotine in your system. All you’re really battling right now is the habit of smoking, not the addiction to the nicotine. If you aren’t comfortable going cold turkey without the patch, that’s something you have to decide. I do think you’re only putting off the inevitable though.
But either way, I’m glad you didn’t smoke today - in spite of the fact that I was a lame sponsor. LOL Stay strong for tomorrow and feel better soon!
Arnold, I am definitely going to need you tomorrow. I have been fighting with my boss lately and I am seriously considering leaving this job after only 3 months there. Today sucked big time. If you only knew just how close I really did come to chucking it all and smoking…
Isn’t anyone but me going through the “anger” thing at not being “able” to smoke?
zyada and evilbeth (from earlier), thank you both so much for continuing to check in here and root for us. When there are so many more “fun” topics on the board you could post to, it means a lot to me that you care enough to take your time to do this. {{{{{{{BIG HUGS}}}}}}}
weirddave, congratulations on your success today. I thought I was your sponsor for tomorrow. If not, I can take Wednesday, no problem. Either way, DON’T SMOKE!
Hi, Chickenhead! Welcome to Straight Dope and thanks for popping in this topic. I haven’t read the column about smoking 1 cigarette a day. (Guess I’ll have to go do that). I would think that with all the chemicals (there are over 5,000 including carbon monoxide - yuck!) that even being exposed to it in small doses wouldn’t be smart. Just how dangerous it is, I coudn’t tell you. It’s great that you’ve stopped, though. 3 1/2 months - that’s really encouraging to see. Congrats!
Satan, you certainly gave me the kick in the pants I needed to actually do what I’d set out to do the same weekend you did, but couldn’t. You really and truly are an inspiration to keep doing this. I need a sponsor on Sunday, and I can’t think of anyone more appropriate than you - LOL. Thank you!
It’s 8:39pm and in spite of having a perfectly rotten, miserable day, for purplebear I have not smoked.
It’s been 1 week, 21 hours, 25 minutes and 29 seconds. 94 cigarettes not smoked, saving $14.68. Life saved: 7 hours, 50 minutes.
Wish me luck tomorrow - I have the feeling I’m gonna need it.
Hey Cristi - it’s been a while for me, but I still get cravings, and I have been afraid that I would relapse while in Chicago… so we will have to help each other out! The patch worked great for me, and I was able to fool myself with decaf coffee.
Hey Wally! Wanna come to the Chicago party and help all us non-smokers stick to it?
Just dropping by to offer
{{{{{{{BIG HUGS}}}}}}}
to everyone! You are doing great!!
OK, Jeannie, Shayna, Cristi, weirddave, Lissa, Chief Crunch, muffinman, and anyone else who’s quitting and whom I might have forgotten. How’s it going? (Lissa, are you going to try quitting again?)
Jeannie, Shayna, I’m your sponsor today. You’ve got to earn that chocolate!
I’m earning it, I’m earning it. Sheesh A girl can’t even slack off for five seconds around here.
Arnold, I’m not sure I’d do this today for anyone else but you. BTW, I sent a reply to your email, but I haven’t heard back from you so I wondered if you’d gotten it.
Holding on, but not happily, for One week, one day, 10 hours, 56 minutes and 33 seconds. 101 cigarettes not smoked, saving $15.73. Life saved: 8 hours, 25 minutes.
How is everyone else doing today?
I’m just checking in - on deck for the on deck position, so to speak. Thursday’s coming up, my day to sponsor Shayna… and I still haven’t figured out if threatening a spanking will be a deterrent or not.
“and I still haven’t figured out if threatening a spanking will be a deterrent or not.”
HA! That’d get me to smoke faster than you can say, “Got a light?”
I love you, Rick. Thanks for helping me out with this.
I’m up to 1 week, 1 day, 14 hours, 3 minutes and 37 seconds. 103 cigarettes not smoked, saving $15.97. Life saved: 8 hours, 35 minutes.
Sorry I couldn’t check in sooner.
Way to go, Cristi. Keep it up. It’s gonna happen.
Shayna. How’s my honey? You’re looking good. Eight days and counting! How do you feel? I know, still a bit cranky, but physically you’re feeling good. Right? Right.
And it gets better. Your complexion will be even more beautiful than it is now.
Try to make peace with your boss. At least for now. For me. That kind of stress is too dangerous for you right now. In fact, it’s one of the top reasons for failure. And here they are, for your perusal:
Angry with boss
Angry with spouse
Alcohol
Death in family
Job dissatifaction
Loss of job
lawsuit or criminal charge.
No matter what happens, promise me you won’t smoke, Shayna.
Who loves ya best?
Oh, yeah. I saw that UncleBeer made a pass at you in the redhead thread.
I’ll moider da bum!
I wouldn’t be married to a man who would sabotage my efforts to quit out of selfish reasons like that! Actually, my husband is a big softie who can’t stand to see me unhappy. And at that moment, I was pretty damn unhappy. His view on the matter is that this is an era where one doesn’t have to rely on will power to quit something as addictive as smoking-- not when there’s a prescription to be had!
While I’m waiting for the doctor’s appointment (we’re switching insurance companies, have to find a new Primary Care Physician, and since we’ve just moved, I don’t know any doctors up here) I’ve been cutting back substantially. I’m actually pretty proud of myself. I just wait until I think I can’t stand it any more, and then I have one. And I’ve found that those “gotta have it NOW” moments are getting fewer and farther between.
WALLY!!! I wondered where you were - I’ve missed you!
** “How’s my honey?.. How do you feel? I know, still a bit cranky, but physically you’re feeling good. Right? Right.” **
Today I’m not cranky. I’m anxious. I hate these anxiety attacks. My heart flutters and my chest feels light. My lungs still feel like they’re draining and I’m getting sick of the taste of snot dripping down my throat. TMI? LOL
** “Try to make peace with your boss. At least for now. For me. That kind of stress is too dangerous for you right now. In fact, it’s one of the top reasons for failure.”**
Believe me, I know. I have not had the best luck in the boss department these past few years. I seem to go from bad to worse. And the worst one was myself!
** “No matter what happens, promise me you won’t smoke, Shayna.”**
I promise, Wally. Today I’m doing this for that Swiss chocolate Arnold promised me - yum, yum! And for you, of course.
** “Who loves ya best?”**
If I ever had any doubts about that, I’ve learned this week that it’s most definitely you, my friend. And the feeling’s quite mutual.
** “Oh, yeah. I saw that UncleBeer made a pass at you in the redhead thread. I’ll moider da bum!”**
Please, please, no bloodshed on my account. Ok, well, maybe an old fashioned duel would be kindof fun to watch. Hehehe
I’m proud to say that I’ve been smoke free (often agonizingly so) for 1 week, 1 day, 15 hours, 15 minutes and 32 seconds, not having smoked 103 cigarettes. I’ve saved $16.06 that I can spend during the extra 8 hours, 35 minutes I’ve added to my life.
I’m still going strong! Today, I haven’t smoked for Arnold (and in hopes of getting some chocolate). It hasn’t been that bad. I’m sorry you’re having such a rough time of it, Shayna. And Cristi, I’ll be at the Chicago gathering, so if you’re being bitchy due to the withdrawal, take it out on me. I know what you’re going through. Want me to bring extra gum for you?
Satan, will you sponsor me on Monday? The weekend is taken already, but I’d be honored to have you as my sponsor.
Wally, you have been such wonderful encouragement! Thank you!
Shayna–I’m not so much mad that I can’t smoke. I just keep thinking, “WTF would be the big deal if I just had one?” But I know what the big deal would be. One would lead to ten more. And if I backtrack now, I may not make it. Just think, you’ve gone a whole week. Do you want to start over from scratch? When you think about it, think how miserable you were last Monday. You don’t want to go through that again.
My meter:
I have been smoke free for: Six days, 54 minutes and 34 seconds.
90 cigarettes not smoked,
Money saved: $18.11.
Life saved: 7 hours, 30 minutes.
Jeannie, Shayna, you ladies rock!
I wish I could put in words how happy I am for you guys.
It’s a great thing you’ve done here. You’ll never be sorry.
If smoking was a good idea, they’d put ashtrays on motorcycles.
Sorry I didn’t come here first, but I had to read the Busty Readhead thread. I mean, I’m a Busty Redhead. I would have lost my membership in the BRofA if I didn’t post there.
Today worse than yesterday. I was a little more edgy today than I was yesterday. Several times, I had to stop working and just sit and breathe. I never thought I’d ever use those lamaze classes again, but dang, I’m sure using them now. I’m starting to cough now, too. I allowed myself a little more caffeine today, and that actually seemed to help. Just a little–I had two cups today at work, instead of one. Then water the rest of the day. I haven’t had any Coke since Sunday. I’m not jonesing too bad for the Coke, though. I tried really hard not to snack out too much today, too. Don’t need to be stuffing my face with junk food. My teeth are bad enough as it is.
I don’t know if I should stay on the patch after this week or not. I know the patch is a seven-week program, but what Shayna said is true–it’s just delaying the inevitable. The Wellbutrin is helping, just not with the cravings. I’ve just been edgy, not a stark raving lunatic. Besides, I crunched a few numbers of my own today (I still haven’t downloaded that counter thingy), and I decided I’d really like to keep the cash I’m saving. Patches are expensive, too. I bought my cigarettes by the pack, not the carton, and I smoked about a pack a day. I’ve saved over seven bucks already. In thirty days, it’ll be over a hundred, and by this time next year, it will be about $1300. I want that money, dammit. I think I’m greedy enough to lose the patch and bite the bullet.
Of course! Monday’s are the worst day for everything, so it’s good to have evil on your side for a change that day!
Yer pal,
Satan
I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR:
One month, 20 hours, 38 minutes and 59 seconds.
1234 cigarettes not smoked, saving $154.30.
Life saved: 4 days, 6 hours, 50 minutes.
Yo! Satan, did you miss this?..
So how 'bout it?
Jeannie, you rock! I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that this is going so well for you. I think the only reason it’s so much harder for me is that I’m battling a lot of major stressors at the same time I’m trying to give up my crutch for those things. My boss is being a major jerk, and dealing with him was hard enough with cigarettes to calm my nerves. I have faith that it’ll get better with time.
Cristi, congratulations on making it through day 2. I just know you’re going to do this, whether you rely on the patch for a short while or not. If you really, really want some extra patches and don’t want to spend the money on them, let me know and I’ll mail you the ones I have left that I never used from last time I tried this. I won’t ever need them myself, so if you can make good use of them, you’re welcome to them.
Lissa, you’re doing ok. You’ve got the right attitude - one that will carry you up to the date you schedule as your final quit date. Even with the Zyban, you continue to smoke for a while and set a date into the future, so there’s nothing wrong with getting a bit of a head start by cutting back a bit until you can get on the meds. We’ll still be here for you whenever you do it, ok?
How is everyone else? Dave? muffinman? Chief Crunch?
This thread is the longest active topic on the board. The Enterprise vs Dark Destroyer in GD is longer, but it’s just about played out.
And you know why it’s the longest topic? Because I talk too much. No, wait, that isn’t it. It’s because so many people care about this.
It’s been over ten years since I went cold turkey and got this monkey off my back, and believe me, I know you’re suffering. I used to know my exact quitting date, but for some reason I’ve forgotten. Probably because I don’t think about smoking anymore. Except when I come here. Then I remember my own struggle and how hard it was.
I want to give the quitters here a big tip of the hat for their courage and tenacity.
But you guys are nuts if you think I’m going to stop nagging.
What’s going on? How’s everyone doing. I need a progress report.