# The Official August 2002 Great SDMB Smokeout thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 27, 2002, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089 "2002-07-27T06:13:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/161 "2002-08-11T10:01:31Z")
hehe, yeah…be sober, don’t drink, no don’t. it’s bad for you. No really, don’t drink, don’t soak up that martini, damn that smells good, never had a butterscotch martini before, I think I am in heaven. I might orgasm soon. On to other things, really, OY…OY… ---
**Author:** ![VDarlin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e56c9b/32.png) [@VDarlin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VDarlin)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/162 "2002-08-11T11:35:55Z")
_hangs head in shame_ I haven’t quit, yet. I still want to, which is a step in the right direction, as it’s the first time I’ve honestly felt that way in 2 1/2 years, the last time being the week before my now ex-husband up and left me, 2 days prior to my quit date - needless to say, it didn’t happen then, and it’s taken til now for me to actually want to, but I’m still not quite ready. I have quit before, and done so on my own, with very little backlash, so I know that it can be done, but I do have to be psychologically ready, and I’m not quite there…yet. Give me a few more days, and I’ll be joining you guys, albeit, late. To all of you who have successfully quit in the last week, whether on the 5th, or between then, and now - good on ya! It is helpful to read your posts, and to have the positive reinforment of others that it can be done. Although I’ve done it on my own before, I may check out the book **Stoid** suggested, anything that can add to my resolve certainly couldn’t hurt, right? Oh, and I definitely need to stock up on the sunflower seeds, those things, while horrible for my lips, definitely are a lifesaver, as far as computer time is concerned, and computer time is a large chunk of my day, so… See you guys in a couple/few days. ~V ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/163 "2002-08-11T13:41:01Z")
Smoke-free for **36 days** now! One thing that has helped: I have also cut WAY back on drinking, which has helped, and not going to a bar to drink (i.e., drinking at home) has also helped. Now let’s see if I can transfer some of this will-power into a successful diet-and-exercise program… ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/164 "2002-08-12T03:56:19Z")
One week, five days, 8 hours, 47 minutes and 3 seconds. 247 cigarettes not smoked, saving $49.34. Life saved: 20 hours, 35 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/165 "2002-08-12T04:02:43Z")
**41** smoke-free days. I just realized I’ve had two glasses of wine in 41 days. :eek: Alcohol just loses it’s appeal without cigs for me. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/166 "2002-08-12T07:32:32Z")
One week, 6 hours, 20 minutes and 34 seconds. 290 cigarettes not smoked, saving $36.32. Life saved: 1 day, 10 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Jorel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jorel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorel)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/167 "2002-08-12T19:03:04Z")
Just checking in: Day seven. One week. WOO HOO~! I am feeling great. No coughing, no slavery I took money out of my jar last night and went to the ice cream shop (not 31 flavors…the guy who makes homeade ice cream every day.) I finished the rocky road in one sitting…there is some mint chip at home for later-assuming hubby has not eaten it. The coolest thing in the world is this (and if I am gloating, I sincerely apologize): I borrowed five hundred bucks from my boss when we moved into our new apartment in July. Friday/today I was going to start paying him back a hundred bucks a week. He said for every week I don’t smoke he will subtract one hundred bucks from the debt! I told him this was not fair to him, as I am not smoking ever again. He said that was okay, it would be a nice “carrot” to not smoke. Pretty cool huh? (apologies if this is bragging) ---
**Author:** ![Jorel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jorel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorel)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/168 "2002-08-12T19:04:59Z")
also, for those of you who read my rant in the pit about my boss the other day: I went up on the roof and got the ashtray of his I threw up there when I was pissed. Lucky Strike Ashtray is back in the spot it was…hopefully he won’t ask where it went and why it is back…although truthfully, he would probably find the scenario funny. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/169 "2002-08-12T21:47:33Z")
I haven’t posted to the boards since July so I obviously missed this thread. I’ve read the whole thing now and it’s really made me think about a few things. First of all, it hurts to smoke. Not just first thing in the morning, but all the time. My lungs feel as though they’ve been stuffed with cotton. My breath is short and shallow, and it’s like that all the time. Walk a hundred feet? God no, I get winded walking to the mailbox. And every morning, I die. At least, I wish I would. I don’t really remember the last time I woke up and _didn’t_ throw up. My resting heart rate averages between 96 (I just checked) and 108 (I checked last week when the chest pains became unbearable and I had to call an EMT to work) bpm. Unless I’m taking trazedone which I use when the coughing is too painful to fall asleep. And I’m about a decade younger than most of the people in this thread. (Those of you 30-something’s who provided us your ages, anyway.) I was going to go to the clinic today to have those previously mentioned chest pains investigated. I didn’t go mostly because I’m pretty stupid about my health. I guess I’ll go next week. Maybe I’ll pick up some Zyban, maybe I won’t. I’ve failed so many times that I’ve lost all faith in myself. Anyway, enough about me. Good luck to all of you! It takes a lot and I’m hoping for all of you. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/170 "2002-08-13T04:04:59Z")
**Silver Fire**!!! Good to see you sweetie. Please join us in our quest to be smoke free. I have to admit that for me it was pretty easy, probably because I had no doubt in my willingness to stop. An unintended positive but it’s really a negative. I can drink like a damn fish, get pretty snockered and my hangovers aren’t near as intense as they were when I smoked. I assume this has to do with more oxygen in my blood and in my brain. One week, one day, 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. 324 cigarettes not smoked, saving $40.60. Life saved: 1 day, 3 hours, 0 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Aglet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@Aglet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aglet)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/171 "2002-08-13T14:45:09Z")
> [@](#): > > **Originally posted by Silver Fire** > First of all, it hurts to smoke. Not just first thing in the morning, but all the time. My lungs feel as though they’ve been stuffed with cotton. My breath is short and shallow, and it’s like that all the time. My Goodness, Silver Fire, what a life you describe! And in your 20s? Looks like someone needs a serious life-shift. It seems to me that you truly need some help (physical and psychological, although healing one usually leads to a healing of the other). **techchick68** has started a couple of threads regarding smoking cessation. I suggest you continue to read them and anything else that will get you motivated and out of the _“I’m really sick and depressed but can’t do anything about anything”_ phase. Do you really need one of us to tell you this: Go find out what’s wrong (sounds like more than just being a smoker) and start fixing it. I wish you well. And to all of you new nonsmokers: 😃 Keep it up. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/172 "2002-08-13T16:08:20Z")
I was laying there in bed this morning, dreading the thought of crawling out of bed as I was still tired. Well, I did lay there on my left side…no coughing, no rattling. What a wonderful feeling. I can breathe like a human again!!! One week, one day, 14 hours, 56 minutes and 32 seconds. 344 cigarettes not smoked, saving $43.11. Life saved: 1 day, 4 hours, 40 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/173 "2002-08-13T18:10:02Z")
Eh, I’m not too depressed Aglet. I’m actually happy about 90% of the time, with regards to every aspect of my life except my health, my job\*, and stupidity regarding the former. Everything else is A-Okay. Or something. \*I love my job - it couldn’t really be any cooler. I could make more money and I wouldn’t complain but oh well. The reason I’m unhappy with it now is because I just realized that, in order to cover the days off I took this weekend to go to Ozzfest, I’ll have to work 6 days in a row. (Ozzfest is the 17th, working Monday through Saturday the following week) Which means I’ll have to either take a day off to see a doctor, postpone in another couple weeks, or not go at all. And, if I postpone it, I’ll likely not go at all. I’ve been like this for a real long time now and, for one excuse or another (can’t even all them “reasons”, really) I haven’t gone yet. But anyway, thanks for your well wishes. I’ll go someday. Continued kick-ass vibes to the non-smokers! ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/174 "2002-08-16T03:07:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by techchick68 \* > \*\*I was laying there in bed this morning, dreading the thought of crawling out of bed as I was still tired. Well, I did lay there on my left side…no coughing, no rattling. What a wonderful feeling. > > I can breathe like a human again!!! > > One week, one day, 14 hours, 56 minutes and 32 seconds. 344 cigarettes not smoked, saving $43.11. Life saved: 1 day, 4 hours, 40 minutes. \*\* **CONGRATS!** Two weeks, two days, 8 hours, 2 minutes and 13 seconds. 326 cigarettes not smoked, saving $65.18. Life saved: 1 day, 3 hours, 10 minutes. So… how is everyone else doing? ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/175 "2002-08-16T05:38:42Z")
Thanks Hastur! And a big congrats to you too! I think I have had enough sunflower seeds, sheesh. I ended up jonesing for more when I ran out of the 1 pound and the 10 ounce bags that I had. My brother called just as I was ready to run to the store…AGH. I traded one habit for another…I eat them constantly. One week, four days, 4 hours, 27 minutes and 1 second. 447 cigarettes not smoked, saving $55.93. Life saved: 1 day, 13 hours, 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/176 "2002-08-16T05:42:52Z")
Well, so far I’m failing miserably… Gotta pick another day and try it again! ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/177 "2002-08-16T06:52:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Astroboy14 \* > \*\*Well, so far I’m failing miserably… > > Gotta pick another day and try it again! \*\* **hangs head in shame** Me too. I \*am \*down to about 5-6 cigs a day from a full pack. I will set another date soon. Congrats to the smoke-free folks. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/178 "2002-08-16T17:21:23Z")
18 hours, 15 minutes and 4 seconds. 9 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2.09. Life saved: 45 minutes. Oh well, back to square one. I cheated yesterday and had one. On day ten. New respect for those who are getting it done. Anyone have a ballpark estimate of how long it takes before you can go back to bars without risking relapse? I shied away from going out last weekend but I’d like not having to shun my smoking/drinking buds forever. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/179 "2002-08-16T17:29:16Z")
Day eleven actually, see, I’m still dizzy from the smoke. No positive side effects to quitting so far either, not even ones mentioned elsewhere. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![skot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@skot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089/180 "2002-08-16T21:56:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by eunoia \* > \*\*I shied away from going out last weekend but I’d like not having to shun my smoking/drinking buds forever. \*\* Who was that imposter in my backyard smoking Backwoods last Saturday night?:rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-august-2002-great-sdmb-smokeout-thread/121089.md?page=10)