day two of no cigarettes. i'm bored and restless, husband is super pissy

[fizzgig]

he went with the patch, i went with a vapor pen. this is the husband's fourth attempt in the last six years and my second in the last year, so we'll see what kind of success we have this time around.

i worked a booth at a festival all day and spent 2.5 hours in the car today, so i'm pretty wiped out and don't feel like leaving the house, but there really isn't much for me to do here. i really want to play wii, but the husband might rip my face off if i ask him to hook it up right now.

so here i am on the patio, enjoying the 63-degree temperature and a local brew and trying to occupy my time.

happy weekend, lounge

[Laffy Kat]

1. Hang in there you two!

You can do it! Supportive thoughts heading your way.

[fizzgig]

4. thanks!

he was the one who wanted to quit last year and i just went along for support, but i picked it right back up when he did. i want this time to be different.

[HubertHeaver]

12. What was the crisis that caused him (and you) to re-start?

Think through it ahead of time. Life continues to happen while you are vulnerable and those cigarettes seem so inviting. Have a strategy ready to implement when that crisis happens. And no, you can not have just one and then put them down again. That does not work.

My last attempt to quit was in January of '75. I still occasionally dream about smoking.

[PennyK]

2. Good luck to you both

I quit a year and a half ago with the e-cig. I still use it and it has saved my life! May I recommend Ahlusion, a wonderful juice company? I love the fruit flavors, all tangy, but many people love their tobaccos and sweeter flavors.

[fizzgig]

5. i stick with mint

fruit or sweet flavors just seem really strange to me

it's encouraging to hear it's worked so well for you.

[Tobin S.]

3. I quit cold turkey over three years ago.

You know what got me? It wasn't my health, or the smell, or the social stigma. It was the cost. Since I've quit, I've saved $10,364. That's 30 cigarettes a day at about $6 a pack.

[fizzgig]

6. it was a purely financial decision

it's been a lean summer for my husband at work and i decided last week we just couldn't afford it anymore. we have some of the cheapest cigarette prices in the country and we were still paying 50 bucks for a carton of camels. i can pay the phone and credit card bills with what we spend a month on cigs.

it's just a good idea all the way around.

[TeamPooka]

10. no matter the reason best of luck to you both during this part until you've beaten it

[applegrove]

7. If I can quit, you can quit. And it is so worth it. I never crave.

Log onto the quitnet.com if you need some kicks in the *** regarding your quit. They will keep you occupied long enough that the crave passes. You are doing a great thing.

[Laffy Kat]

8. I almost posted the exact same thing.

I had a terrible habit and quit 25 years ago with A LOT of support from a lot of people. Can't remember the last craving I had. I still have dreams though; you know, when you dream you've started smoking again and then wake up so relieved. That still happens.

[applegrove]

9. I never dream of smoking. Quit 7 years ago. It was hard

for the first few months. Then it got way easier by about month 5. I don't even want to smoke when I see someone smoking.

[fizzgig]

16. the vapor pen is really helping

went to my dad's tonight and it crossed my mind that i could bum a smoke, but i had no desire to.

my routines haven't been disrupted by the change and i'm just fine with it. husband is still crabby, but not as much.

it feels great to not be worrying about scraping up the money for cigs.

[applegrove]

19. You're doing great.

Yes and soon you will feel the weight of hurting your health off your shoulders. That is huge. Such a relief to not be fooling with your life and going into denial about it all the time. You will be so proud.

[ellisonz]

11. The vapor pen has worked for me 149 days+

Add regular exercise and healthy diet. Hey I'm emerging from grad school!

[fizzgig]

17. exercise is next on my list

we usually eat well enough, but i really need to shed some pounds.

[ellisonz]

18. Nature is your gym friend!

The Struggle

[fizzgig]

23. i like to take walks

i just need to take more of them.

[callous taoboy]

13. Tobacco killed my mom at age 44:

I was nine. I despise the tobacco companies. I try not to despise my mom for choosing her habit over her life raising me. I almost got hooked back in college. I'll never forget the night. I was in my apartment listening to music, had been playing with smoking cigarettes off and on for a year or so, but that night I was lighting one off the other and starting to really enjoy the taste and buzz. Felt like hell the next morning, took the rest of the pack, crushed it and threw it away. Since then, 28 years ago, I have maybe bummed 20 ciggies. I do think about buying a pack every now and then, but I know what you all are going through, so I just will not do it. Stay strong, you guys. Life is short as it is!

[fizzgig]

20. i'm sorry about your mom

it was just time to do it.

[Worried senior]

14. This year I decided I had to quit

My breathing was not good, I felt sick and last year I wasn't sure I'd live to see thing year.

May 11 was my last cigarette. I had used the patch and I smoked some with that and then I was getting hives after a while with those so having an rx for Zyban I switched to that when my smoking supplies were gone. I had been rolling my own so cheaper than a carton of cigarettes but I hated that job so it made it easier to quit.

The Zyban took the edge off but many of the food I loved tasted terrible. I don't know if cigarettes would have because I didn't smoke after starting the medication.

I know that I don't dare have just one cigarette because I'd be right back to a pack a day. I don't want to have to go thru quitting again and my family is quite proud of me so want to keep it that way.

It hasn't been too bad but to say I don't want a cigarette at times would be a lie, fortunately the craving goes away fairly quickly but I spend a lot of time on the computer.

[fizzgig]

21. i thought about just rolling our own

but why go through the extra hassle? this was the more logical solution. the few times i've quit before i picked it straight back up because i wanted to, but i'm hoping this time is different.

congrats on three months and keep up the good work

[PushyGalore]

15. Smoker for 20+ years and quit May 13.

I went the cold turkey route, no patches, pens, gum, nada. It's painful for the first two weeks, but it does get better.

I feel your boredom. Without cigarettes, life feels like an unfinished sentence. And you can't help but think, "What do non-smokers do after they finish a task?!"

But, again, it will get better.

Hang in there and best of luck! Your body and wallet will thank you.

[fizzgig]

22. the boredom is better tonight

it helps that the husband is less crabby and is actually hanging out with me.

congrats on your three months and welcome to du

[hay rick]

24. You can do it.

I quit January 1, 1980. I was smoking 2-3 packs a day. I quit 5 years earlier but stupidly tried a cigarette after 2 weeks and ended up smoking again. Both times the craving was manageable after about a week. The harder thing was changing habits. I was used to smoking with alcoholic beverages, with coffee...when I wanted to think about something.