*hands you your crutch*, You have been enlisted! Options

[Snugglebum the D...]

Welcome to my disgustingly self indulgent thread.

As of the 1st April 2006, I will be giving up smoking. Accordingly to everyhting I have read or heard - I need a strong support group to do this. Family's behind me, new work place (being 100% ethical) is behind me. The only other aspect of my life is this here net jobby.

So - background. I've been smoking for 10 years and I always maintained (at the tender age of 16) that ten years would be my lot. So be it. I've been thinking about it for many months, but shyed away because I have a temper and I don't want to put on weight
.
Certain circumstances have prompted me to stop fart - arsing about and actually do it. So I am. With an inhalator, which works better for those who habitually smoke.

This is my thread - but I intend for it to be used for those wanting to give up in the future.

Lets go.

[Usurper MrTeapot]

*mis-read the title as being "hands on your crotch"*

Damn. Good luck and stuff... yeah.

[Icey]

So did I

Good luck, and please don't kill me if I walk past you in the street whilst your 'giving up'

[Sir Psycho Sexy]

*mis-read the title as being "hands on your crotch"*

That's so weird...so did I...I guess we all know what you're really like!

Good luck woman!

*hides from nicotine-withdrawal induced rage*

[Izzy]

*mis-read the title as being "hands on your crotch"*

That's so weird...so did I...I guess we all know what you're really like!

Good luck woman!

*hides from nicotine-withdrawal induced rage*

I read it right, but I thought 'crutch' meant 'crotch', so appearantly not right..

[Phyllis]

*mis-read the title as being "hands on your crotch"*

I'm another who did that as well. I was wondering why Snuggs was in possession of my crotch in the first place!

Anyway, good luck! It's hard, but I'm sure you can do it.

[pgrmdave]

Just a week left of smoking, how does it feel knowing that in a week, you won't have any nicotine?

[froggle-rock]

Good luck hun. Honest, once you get in to it, it's not too difficult.

[Forever Unknown]

Dear Snuggs,

Please call me on 31st March.

From thereafter, please do not call me for three months.

G'luck!

Love,

Me.

[FeralPolyglot]

Good luck, Snugglebum! *waves pom-poms in the air*

[Faerieryn]

Good Luck snuggy bunny. MAy you and your lungs have many happy years together!!!

[Calantyr]

I won't wish you luck as you don't need it. I know you'll be able to pull this off.

Welcome to the land of arrogant non-smokers!

[Spacehappy]

Welcome to my disgustingly self indulgent thread.  

As of the 1st April 2006, I will be giving up smoking.  Accordingly to everyhting I have read or heard - I need a strong support group to do this.

This is my thread - but I intend for it to be used for those wanting to give up in the future.

Snug you know i love you so i'll make you an offer.

As some of you know my dad died nearly 1 year ago today. He started smoking at age 11 and died aged 58. I have a full autopsy report on his death. I will post the state of his lungs as the autopsy stated, if you want me to. It is grim reading and horribly graphic (aye this comment from me), but should pretty much stop anyone ever smoking again!.

[Dreams On Hiatus]

Good luck to you!

[Usurper MrTeapot]

Todays the big day. Glad I'm no where near her as I like my eyes in their sockets.

This might be a big April Fool's joke. "I've given up smoking...not!"

[Ashbless]

*Is there with the sugar free gum and the magazines with interestingly posed men with little clothing*

Heh, something to distract you from the cigarettes while feeding the need to have something in your mouth.

You can do this. You can handle it.

[Feyliya]

I may hate cheerleading, but I'll pick up pom poms for this. You're going to need one hell of a cheering section to quit. I've heard that nicotine is a habit to kick on par with heroine.

I know, personally, that it's so hard to kick that my mom was almost willing to forfeit both her life and mine to keep the habit going. First I started having lung trouble. Really, really bad lung trouble. The doctor told my mom that if she didn't quit smoking I'd be dead in a month. She kept smoking for a week. Then she went to her doctor about a "lung cold" and her doctor told her the same thing about herself that my doctor told her about me. She kept smoking from then until the nicotine patches arrived a few days later. She probably would have kept smoking if the patches hadn't worked, but thankfully there was a mix-up in the doctor's office that led to her recieving the wrong dosage of patches. They were so strong they made her sick for two weeks. From then on she went cold turkey. Every time she thought about picking up a cigarette she'd remember how sick she'd been.

A few months ago during a trip to the doctor's I saw a sign that listed the good effects that came from being off of cigarettes for certain ammounts of time. Like 1 day = better smelling breath, 1 week = whiter teeth, 1 month = no longer being physically addicted to nicotine, etc... I was so happy to be able to almost count the 20 year effects on her list. She never got a party for successfully quitting....franky I think the 20 extra years added to her life span and 50% (some number thereabouts) decreased chance of developing cancer are better than any party could be.

[Sir Psycho Sexy]

while feeding the need to have something in your mouth.

*snerk* well it'd be a distraction

[Snugglebum the D...]

Okay - things didn't quite go to plan on the day I wanted them to - due to a very LARGE evening out on the 31st March and waking up totally NOT in my own house on the 1st April.

However, I've started today. Unfortunately, not totally cold turkey as I would have wanted but I'm pleased and surprised with myself. I loathe the inhalator - it smells funny and gives me a sore throat. I'm not desperate for a cigarette at all. I just kinda' feel that I would like one is all.

I've smoked 4 cigarettes today. Taking into account that I'm generally on 30 a day, I feel that this is an achievement. I've not craved a cigarette, lost my rag or anything. I feel a little meloncholy but there are other factors to take into account with that anyway.

*deep breathe* Now that I've got things a bit in order, I can explain why this is so important to me. I found out that my father only has a month to live. Cancer. They've found it on his lung, kidney, rib and there are several tumours in his brain. Three weeks ago we were talking chemo. Then, when the brain issues were made apparent, we were talking radiotherapy. Now, due to the severity of the damage in his torso - we're talking about pain management and making him comfortable for his last few weeks. I'm still in denial. He's 57 years old, not smoked a day in his life and generally lived well. Just proves that whatever power may or may not be out there has a sick sense of humour.

So, I'm trying to make my life better. I don't want to ever go to a cancer ward again and I certainly don't want to have my son come to one. He's been coming to see his grandad with us but thankfully is too young to understand what is going on. I want to be very old when I die - old enough that I'm not scared anymore.

So - not cold turkey but a vast improvement. I'm considering jacking in the whole nicotine replacement therapy and just doing it on willpower alone. Could be interesting.

[pgrmdave]

Whichever you do, we'll support you in it

[elphaba2]

Seconded. It's awful to hear about your father's illness and I'm sorry. I think (however dorky this may sound) that it's noble to quit smoking for such a personal reason and I assume you've read up on quitting. Even so, I figured I'd say that the worst symptoms of withdrawal show up 48-72 hours after the last cigarette. Maybe you'd not want to put yourself through that considering what else you've got to deal with? That said, I'm a stranger more than a thousand miles away and you can make your own decisions.

[Snugglebum the D...]

Right - I've not smoked for very nearly 48 hours now. I'm feeling surprisingly well. I've not been grumpy or overly irratable (although I DID growl at one person for getting a little more playful then I was in the mood for).

I feel a bit spaced all the time, which I'm attributing to more oxygen but otherwise I'm quietly confident. I'm really motivated for this. At this point I've not even thought 'Damn, I could really do with a cigarette right now'. Just not interested in smoking. At all.

I'm sure it shouldn't be this easy and that I'm probably due my withdrawel symptoms in the next two days or so. I did have a God awful nights sleep last night - uncontrolable twitching and then woke up at 4am unable to fall back asleep and sweating all over. It was harsh.

Maybe you'd not want to put yourself through that considering what else you've got to deal with?

At the start of this week I started a brand new job and we moved offices all in one. Since then we've had all sorts of problems with the work systems and I've been seriously stressed with it all. If I can do this without needing a cigarette once then I've knocked it on the head for life. I can't think of a better time to push your limits.

So - I'm going to keep updating because I think it'll be an interesting experience. Thank you very much for all your support, guys.

[{Gothic Angel}]

*mis-read the title as being "hands on your crotch"*

I'm another who did that as well. I was wondering why Snuggs was in possession of my crotch in the first place!

Am I the only person on these forums with an innocent mind? I just wondered why they were trying to get crippled people into a fighting cause.

And g'luck Snuggs. 'Tis a noble cause

[monkey_called_na...]

this is coming a bit late but a few tips to help you along.

1. when ever you feel the need for a ciggaret doodle or do somthing else that keeps your hands busy. the hardest thing to break is the habit of your hand moving to your mouth.

2. carry mints everywhere. suck on them as often as you can...

3. whenever you feel yourself getting irritated take deep breaths. sounds corney, but its been proven that the deep breathing while smoking is what calms you and not the nic.

4. chew straws, it looks gross at times but its affective when you really hexing.

5. whenever you do give in to the need try to make it into a game... how long can you last untill the next smoke?


well... thats what i have to offer *lights a smoke* i have to quite for 9 weeks every summer becasue i work at a gs camp.

[Jonman]

Advice coming a bit late, but what the hey.

Start doing some kind of regular exercise. Today. IMO, it's the most dramatic way to prove to yourself the incredible difference that not smoking makes to your state of fitness.

Within a week, you'll see your fitness levels just simply shoot upwards - it's a really effective way of rewarding yourself for giving up - you can plainly see the benefits: 'wow, I just ran two miles without wheezing until I collapse' etc.