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I was fortunate (?) enough to develop a serious bacterial lung infection 15 years ago that nearly killed me. As I was recovering, I realized I had been without a cigarette for 8 days, and figured I had been too sick to even notice the withdrawal. Although I wanted to start smoking again so badly, I didn't. I still wanted to smoke badly for the next 2 years. My habit was 2 to 3 packs a day for 20 years.

Almost immediately after covering from the infection, I realized how much more energy I had. I could walk up stairs without huffing and puffing. Heck .. I could just WALK without getting out of breath. I then realized how much my life had been structured around smoking. My clothes always had to have pockets so I could carry the cigs & lighter with me. Sometimes I would even wake up during the night and need to smoke. It was ghastly.

Now, I truly think of myself as a tobacco-holic. Part of me would still would love to smoke, and I don't dare take even a small drag on one. I am like the alcoholic who would fall off the wagon with one beer.

After my mother passed away and I decided to quit smoking I went into a funk. Also I had terrible hunger pains. I had never understood when my husband used to say he had hunger pains but now I did. So unfortunately I put on lots of weight and the extra weight still kept me from feeling good. A little over a year ago I decided to do something about that also and started on Atkins. I lost 40 lbs and NOW I feel much better.

My two daughters had quit for about 7 years and one night they decided to go out to a party and have just that ONE cigarette. It made them regular smokers again. You can never just have that one. I pray every day that I will never be stupid enough to ever pick one up and light it.