After 43 Years, The Nicotine Habit Is Broken

The Intelligencer Wheeling News-Register ^ | 5-1-07 | Fred Connors

[NCLaw441]

You said, in part: As my mom lay dying from smoking related causes I had a long talk with the respiratory tech and she said that basically, if you quit by 45-50, your body will rebound almost 100% in a few years, quit after that and the benefits go down.
***
Non-smoker here. I congratulate all of you on your efforts. Good luck. My mother died at age 43 of lung cancer that had metasticised to most of the rest of her body. It was an ugly way to go. So, if you make it to age 45, quitting may return your body to a semblance of health, but don’t use that as a guide, you may not make it that long.

Again, best of luck to all of you in your efforts.

[NCLaw441]

You said: What I will never understand, and will never forgive, is my mother sitting there and smoking with him. I hope we don’t have to go thru w/her what we went thru w/my stepfather.
***

Upon my mother’s death at age 43 from lung cancer, my sister swore off smoking. Sadly, it lasted until the drive to the cemetery to bury my mother (3 days). I am thankful every day for not taking up that habit. I support everyone’s right to smoke, but I have seen the possible results, and it is truly an ugly way to go— and the trip itself is not all that attractive either.

[TheRightGuy]

I have been quit since 9:30am (CDT), October 25, 2002.

I had been smoking 2-3 packs per day for over 35 years. I promised myself that this would be my first and ONLY attempt to quit. My regular doc set me up with a PharmD who layed out the following course:

QUIT DAY -2 weeks, start Zyban, one daily
QUIT DAY -1 weeks, step up Zyban, two daily
QUIT DAY ... start patch, high strength
QUIT DAY +4 weeks, step down patch to medium strength
QUIT DAY +6 weeks, step down patch to mild strngth
QUIT DAY +8 weeks, quit patch
QUIT DAY +9 weeks, step down Zyban to one daily
QUIT DAY +10 weeks, quit Zyban

It worked for me.

[somniferum]

Thought you were the author of the piece. Mea Culpa :)

[Minutemen]

Congratulations! Nicotine was my weakness for years too. I quit smoking 9 years ago.

[Lurker]

The American Lung Association says when a smoker quits, within 20 minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.

It sure does. After that amount of time the rage hormones in your body increase to levels which are dangerous to innocent bystanders.

Then the grumpiness genes which have been repressed by the nicotine flower into full bloom.

Strange uncontrollable urges to kick puppies and small children bloom forth from the limbic regions...

L

[word_warrior_bob]

I’m on my 5th week of Chantix, I was smoking 3 packs a day, I’m down to less than half that, sometimes when I smoke I’ll put it out real early, never done that before.

I’m hoping I’ll be smoke free by the end of the month.

[Eagle Eye]

Only in Northern states. Or so I’m told.

[word_warrior_bob]

I haven’t smoked in 2 days, the Chantix works.

[Joan Kerrey]

That means the jury is still out on me. It might as well come back in.

---

congrats!!!!! Weakness is still there long after 30 days.
I quit once for over a year and in a moment of weakness bummed just one from a friend (knowing I was over the hump) That one cigarette tasted so good and gave me a high so I decided to buy a pack and just have one per day. By the second day I smoked the whole pack and bought my first carton of 10 packs and have been smoking ever since (about 20 years) You’re never over the hump. Once you quit, QUIT and avoid even the smoke if you can. I’m lucky that at 67 I have no health problems after over 50 years of smoking.

[woollyone]

FarmerW,

Thank you! thank you! thank you!
It was your post #5 that led me to whyquit.com and to finally walk away from the cigarettes. Two+ packs per day for 32+ years, but now am free.

I had been on chantix for three weeks, but a couple of the side effects were horrible, so i stopped taking it. Three days later, I read your post and checked out whyquit.com. I read that website for nearly 6 hours that day!

What a blessing! That website gave me the information and tools to be able to quit, where nothing had worked in previous attempts. I have read EVERYTHING there and now share that resource with anyone who asks me how my QUIT is going.

So, thank you most sincerely!!!

I put out my last cigarette on 05-01-07 @ 9:14PM.

1 week, 13 hours, 43 minutes cold turkey QUIT!
318 nicotine delivery devices not smoked, saving USD $59.62
Life saved: 1 day, 5 hours, 9 minutes

...oh happy day

[woollyone]

Tomorrow is your day to be free from the Nicotine delivery Devices.

Wish the VERY best.
Be Strong!
and once quit...NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

keep us informed.

[AirForce-TechSgt]

Thank you nad I wilkeep you informed.

[woollyone]

whyquit.com

great reading during the first week of your quit.

you CAN do it.
Stay strong FRiend.

[woollyone]

FarmerW,

Greetings.

Saturday was 6 months quit for me.
Again, thanks to your post number 6 in this thread.

I hope you are also strong in your quit.

NTAP FRiend!

thanks again!

[AppyPappy]

I quit in 1982 after 10 years. It was the smartest thing I ever did. I don’t miss it at all. I did start smoking cigars a few years ago and still never craved a cigarette. Now I smoke one cigar a year.

[shag377]

February 7th, 2000. Last day I ever had a cigarette.

I regret the first day I ever smoked one, but I don’t regret the day I quit.

Watching your mother almost die because of undiagnosed COPD and spend 10 weeks in the hospital is enough for anyone.

I did it in 6 weeks with the patch and more importantly, readjusting my habits to trigger a craving (Re: going to the bar)

The scariest part is when I went back to the bar to play darts and have a beer.:) Made it without a cigarette.

Now, every year after Feb 7th, to celebrate the money I saved by not smoking, I buy myself a toy.

Needless to say, my gun cabinet is fuller than it once was.

[woollyone]

Pappy,
Congrats on the quit.

A cigar (or even five) per year is a pleasure!

keep it up!

[5050 no line]

Sounds familiar. I did cold turkey - twice, first time lasted six months. Second time was 20 years ago, just before leaving the Services. Worst times were with a beer in m’ hand in the mess with my buddies - who were all puffing away like chimmneys!

Funny, I also still dream about smoking and despair, in dreaming, that I have had a relapse! Such a relief in the morning to find ... it was all a dream!:-)

I actually now quite like the smell of tobacco, best out of doors, (mellow in my old age?) but I really hated it for a while after quitting.

[LibWhacker]

Cold turkey 22 years ago, almost 23. It will be 23 when they play the next Superbowl; I threw my cigarettes in the trash right after watching Superbowl XIX. Would be 36 years if I hadn't started again after successfully quiting once for four years. I smoked another nine years after that, up to two packs a day.

Some people can control it, only smoking a cigarette now and then, say a few a week. Not me. I just loved it too damned much. Even now, after 22 years, I know I could get hooked again real quick, in just one night really, if I ever let my guard down again. The craving is always there, under the surface.