MichelleDoesntSmokeAnymore

I know this is an old thread but I'm replying anyway I vaped for three years before this latest quit and loved it. The scary thing is though that its a recent enough "invention" that there hasn't been enough research on its effects. My personal opinion is that even if you vape 0 nicotine juice, you are still inhaling the vapor from the juice, which can't be good. And we don't know the long term effects of vaping. I have heard that popcorn lung is a consequence. My grandfather had that and it sounded terrible. I had the popcorn sound now and then when I was smoking. With vaping you lose the smokers cough and the rattling and wheezing and I think thats why some people think its safer than smoking. I'm so glad I am quitting.

I wouldn't kneel down and suck on a car's tailpipe. I hold my breath when I walk through a cloud of exhaust. Probably safer than smoking or vaping.

It was horrific lol. But it passed. I'm still wearing a patch. I can sleep with them on as long as I put them on in the early afternoon instead of evening. It does help during the day though. Its just that mornings are my strongest craving. But I've been up for an hour and haven't seriously thought of smoking. Yay. I'm going to one of my recovery meetings at noon where many people smoke and its sort of "normalized" but I'll be with a nonsmoking family member so I won't be tempted to bum one. I'll do my best to remember why I'm quitting, look at smoking as something horrible and destructive that endangers my life instead of romancing it. Thats what it will take when I'm at a meeting. Its NOT okay, its NOT "normal", its NOT something that I do because everyone else is doing it, I will NOT push down the fear and knowledge that I'm endangering my life. I will remember why I'm doing this, and so will ya'll!

Confession: I was a closet smoker most of my life. That fact causes a lot of guilt but now that I'm quitting I can let it go.

6

I'M STILL HERE YOU GUYS!! NOPE NOPE NOPE. I'm glad you are all here too. Have a Nope-y day!

Jillar wow lucky you! Love the coast!

5

Thanks. My doctor is the ones who gave me the NRTs. I have a physical scheduled for Monday and I can't wait to tell her I haven't smoked! I'm fairly certain I'm okay right now, its future stuff I worry about and how long I've shaved off my life expectency. But look at us now...we are reversing the damage (hopefully) and adding years back onto our lives (hopefully). Even if not, our quality of life will be better.

Is anyone in or near Sacramento, CA?

Thank you Linda. I hope it does. I wish I'd never read that it takes 10-15 years of being quit before your risk of cancer returns to that of someone who never smoked. I used that for so many years to say "well I'm already $(#-ed so I might as well not even try" but I'm not doing that anymore because the 10-15 years are going to pass anyway, right? So what am I going to do with them? Continue to smoke and possibly die as a result of it, or begin to heal? Still, it keeps me up at night. I will have faith that it will get easier to not stew in it. Thank you!

Dear Michelle, I love you. Please don't. Please. You don't want to die from a smoking related disease. You want to see Jessica and Alex's kids, your grandkids, if they have them. Imagine telling them and Chris and Lori that you are dying. And knowing it was your own fault. You think about that all the time, even as you're smoking or vaping. Its normalized in recovery but foreign and detested in your family. Side with your family, those who have had your back your whole life. You're so unhealthy right now but you have the power to make it better. "Yesterday you said 'today'..." I love you, Michelle

Hi Everyone and Dear Me, This is a nasty addiction and its harder to kick than the addiction to other substances I've managed to beat into remission and stay clean from one day at a time. Nicotine is much harder. I smoked for 36 years and have been vaping for the last 3 years. I love the experience of vaping: everything about it except the embarrassment that I was doing it. When I'm quit, once I entertain the idea of smoking or vaping (just once! lol) the desire grows and grows and grows even as I remind myself its a terrible idea, of how I've been doing well and of all the reasons NOT to. Then it seems like I can't NOT smoke or vape. I know I can make the choice not to though. I've made it before! I've had two long term quits in my life! So I know I can do it. I want to coexist in my nonsmoking family as a nonsmoker and be around for years and years to come! This is a very very familiar pattern to me. Its the same thought pattern and behavior as I had with drugs and alcohol, and the same one I still struggle with, with food. So it stands to reason if I use the same tools I learned in recovery and apply them to smoking, which is what I did on my last significant quit, that I WILL STAY QUIT. I am still open to any suggestions, advice or recommendations. I'm going to spend my evening reading and chatting on the forum, watching Joel Spitzer's videos, brushing my teeth repeatedly, deep breathing and sipping cooooold ice water (helps me more than gum) I also plan to start a blog in the blog section. I also want to encourage others, not only because I want to help others but because it will help me as well. And I need to remember that my sister and brother in law, who are four years older than me, are healthier than me and look much younger than they are. Younger than me maybe even. They have that smooth skin and no vertical lines around their lips, no vertical lines on their neck when its tightened up. IDK if I can reverse the signs of smoking on my face or just stop it in its tracks but the most important thing is my health and longevity anyway. Thanks again for the tough love guys. My every intention at this moment is to stay and have a permanent quit.

Thank you Jillar! Which one is the main forum? The first one I see in the list is introductions and about us. I'll check the vape forum for sure. And I'm planning to use this site instead of Facebook LOL. It sure is more uplifting!

How do you cope with the fear that you've done harm to your body and might still develop a fatal smoking related disease? Dealing with this now. Its what has me quitting this time around, my sticky quit, but it still keeps me up at night sometimes.

Hi Everyone, I'm trying to get a sense of the forums. This one is titled Introductions and About Us but it seems to be the only place where people post miscellaneous stuff about their own personal quit, unless I'm missing something ?The reason I ask is because I want to post things in the appropriate places. Anyway, let me delve into whats going on in my head as I round out hour 6 (with NRT, but still impressive given my recent history) This is a nasty addiction and its harder to kick than the addiction to other substances I've managed to beat into remission and stay clean from one day at a time. Nicotine is much harder. I smoked for 36 years and have been vaping for the last 3 years. I love the experience of vaping: everything about it except the embarrassment that I was doing it. When I'm quit, once I entertain the idea of smoking or vaping (just once! lol) the desire grows and grows and grows even as I remind myself its a terrible idea, of how I've been doing well and of all the reasons NOT to. Then it seems like I can't NOT smoke or vape. I know I can make the choice not to though. I've made it before! I've had two long term quits in my life! So I know I can do it. I want to coexist in my nonsmoking family as a nonsmoker and be around for years and years to come! This is a very very familiar pattern to me. Its the same thought pattern and behavior as I had with drugs and alcohol, and the same one I still struggle with, with food. So it stands to reason if I use the same tools I learned in recovery and apply them to smoking, which is what I did on my last significant quit, that I WILL STAY QUIT. I am still open to any suggestions, advice or recommendations. I'm going to spend my evening reading and chatting on the forum, watching Joel Spitzer's videos, brushing my teeth repeatedly, deep breathing and sipping cooooold ice water (helps me more than gum) I also plan to start a blog in the blog section. I also want to encourage others, not only because I want to help others but because it will help me as well. And I need to remember that my sister and brother in law, who are four years older than me, are healthier than me and look much younger than they are. Younger than me maybe even. They have that smooth skin and no vertical lines around their lips, no vertical lines on their neck when its tightened up. IDK if I can reverse the signs of smoking on my face or just stop it in its tracks but the most important thing is my health and longevity anyway. Thanks again for the tough love guys. My every intention at this moment is to stay and have a permanent quit.

HAHAHAAAAA I love that title....the answer is a resounding NO!! But I'll watch it anyway. Joel is great!

You are all absolutely right. Ty for the tough love

You can't say I'm not determined....

Day two begins. I'm finally getting some traction. So....NOPE

...quitting this time. Back and forth back and forth even tho I know what I'm doing to my body. Is it ok to talk about NRT here? My doctor prescribed patches for me and I've picked July 4th as my quit date. My freedom date. Thank you all for being here to support each other. It helped me quit last time. I can do it again!!