idontsmoke

Good morning Sarah! I'm one of the newbies mentioned Fear was the main motivator for me too. After starting my quit three weeks ago it was stubborn obstinence to not give in again. I've smoked/vaped for about 40 years so I can understand everything you talked about. I can tell you that once you've quit you'll notice so many things that have nothing to do with fear, like not feeling like an outcast when around non smokers, hair smelling better, clothes smelling better, family and friends' encouragement, drawing deep breaths (my favorite) Not having to stand outside in the rain or the heat, better sleep, taste and sense of smell. Of course the toppers are about health but these are some of the less obvious things I've discovered. You can do this. You'll be so glad you did! Stay close to the board and check in often. Read some of the pinned posts. Joel's videos are amazing. These are great people and they'll help you more than you can imagine.

Hi Jeff, I just saw this post. I can relate to everything you said. Are you still here?

Thanks....glad to know its normal at three weeks. Thats why I asked. I'm concentrating on the benefits I've seen already. I can catch a deep breath, I dont stand out in the rain or blistering heat to suck poison into my lungs, I dont have to interrupt whatever I'm doing to go downstairs and outside, and I dont have to constantly make sure its plugged in, charging and that I have backup batteries just in case....not to mention the money I'm saving. Wooooooo

When do they stop???? or at least become only occassional? at 3 weeks, I've had a couple days here and there where I hardly have any cravings at all, then days like today when they hit at least once an hour if not more often. They are not physical, they're mental. I'll be going about my day, minding my own business and suddenly get that feeling of anticipation like I used to get when going outside to vape. I have absolutely NO desire to actually do it but the craving is very uncomfortable.

NOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEE

Nope Nope I'm a big Nopester with a nopey attitude

NANA!!! Congratulaions....Oh I'm so so happy for you!

NOPE NOPE NOPITTY NOPE

So I mentioned before that I have been taking Chantix. I lost all interest and cravings for my vape after about 3 weeks of taking it so on June 2 I took the leap. It was ridiculously easy for the first few days then cravings came back...more psychological than physical. Would you believe yesterday, 19 days in, was the first day I barely thought about cravings at all? I was never tempted to actually use nicotine but it was uncomfortable to have the urge. Tho it WAS entertaining to figure out what the trigger was. REALLY??? THATS why you want to smoke (talking to brain) How long did your cravings go on?

I'm making salmon with lemon and dill in a few min here....c'mon over! If theres one thing we know how to do in Seattle, its cook/eat salmon Thank you Johnny. I should be on the board more...I'm still here!

Aw thank you! I guess I just got distracted? not sure...but I've stayed the course! Its nice to be missed

Better late than never.....NOPE!!!

NOPE....during the past week I didn't believe I'd make it but thanks to all of you, it will be two weeks tomorrow!

LOL So do I. Nice to know I'm not the only one I can hardly wait to get to know all of you, and getting to look back one day on funny memories of all of you and OF ME lol

NOOOOOOPE not even ONE because there is no such thing as ONE!!!!!

Ty jillar!

I took some advice and rewarded myself this afternoon. Since I'm recently-ish single again I took my ownself out on a date. SOMEONE has to! So this awesome chick named idontsmoke and I went for a mani-pedi and then got a burger. Masks, gloves, plexiglass and distancing were in place, so we were safe. Anyway, I kinda like this lady. I may have to treat her to nice things like that more often.

NOPE NOPE NO-PITTY NOPE! (oooh look what I did....no-pity. As in no self pity. I didn't do that on purpose but I like it)

Thank you everyone. Gosh you are all so helpful and kind

Dear Nicotine in all forms: I’ve wanted to get rid of you for years. You’ve caused a rift in my family. They knew I was using you but it was like this big elephant in the room that no one wanted to tackle. I thought I was hiding you but of course, they knew. You’ve caused me to be embarrassed and feel judged because in just about every social or work circle I'm in, I'm usually the only one using you. Remember when I hid you from everyone? Even doctors and coworkers? Then when someone would remark that I or the room smelled like cigs I was humiliated because them knowing I was smoking was better than them knowing I’d been lying to them. Now I live with people who don’t smoke, in a neighborhood where I rarely see people smoke. In fact when I am sitting outside vaping I’d see tons of people jogging, walking etc and just know to the core of my soul that I wanted to be healthy and that I’m hurting myself because of you. People at least ten years older than me, speed walking and cycling and I'd think about how if I didn't give you up I would probably never get to that point, I'd spend the last years of my life a fat old lady in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank. I don't want to go down like that When my chest started to hurt when I walked up hills or stairs I knew it was time to quit. I’ve been paying a lot of money to use you while you are causing damage to my body, and possibly even be killing me. The test results I just got back say I am prediabetic and my cholesorol is up. I know that without you my cholestorol should come down. I'm not sure about the prediabetes will resolve especially with the other lifestyle changes I'm making. I don't want to be my mother, smoking and not taking care of herself and dying at 62. You have such a hold on me that its been 40 years of letting you rule my life because every time I tried to give you up the cravings would be too much to bear, I thought. Even now, ten days without you, and even though I’m taking Chantix, you are screaming at me to come back. I almost have, a few times but if I do that, I will be back at square one. I’ve proven to myself countless times that there is no such thing as one dose of you, no matter how sure I am that there is. I need to think of you like I think of alcohol; be afraid to actually pick you up because I know I won’t stop. I'm in solid recovery now, free of everything addictive except you, at least 11 days ago.Oh, and coffee but I'm not tackling that one just yet...but Its time for you to go. So I say goodbye to you. I've been quit for ten days; I don’t need you anymore. I never needed you in the first place. I just thought I did. I’m not spending incomprehensible amounts of money on you. I’m not going to put myself at risk of death for you. I'm not going to let you make my children have to lose their mother young. You aren’t worth it. Nothing is worth risking my life. Yes its hard to let you go, but if I developed a life threatening illness just because continuing to use you was easier than quitting…well how awful would that be? Or I could say letting you go is easier than dealing with cancer or heart disease will be. Letting go of you is easier than dying, thats for sure. Despite being DETERMINED to let you go, I definitely miss you already, esp in the form of vaping. Vaping is delicious and feels good going into my lungs but how crazy is that. I don’t want you In my lungs. I’m done with you. You aren’t going to kill me, embarrass me, make me sick, none of that ever again, just for today. One day at a time. Goodbye, idontsmoke

And I'm ok! Every experience that has a strong association with nicotine is an adventure

From prior experience, I know this is normal after quitting, but I have to vent and ask what others have done for it: My throat itches often and is phlegmy...My body is working through it by an annoying amount of coughing and throat clearing but ugh, can it be over already? I guess since I smoked for 35 years and vaped for another 4, its gonna take a while. When vaping I have almost zero chest congestion (not saying its less harmful than smoking!!! Just that my body reacts differently to it) so I didnt expect this phlegmy itchy throat after quitting vaping! I'm armed with cough drops and mints but any other suggestions are welcome.

NOPE....10 days nicotine free and I ain't skerred

Thanks Doreen! Great advice...its good to know I'm on the right track because usually I go downstairs, use the Keurig to make my coffee then take it out on the porch to vape. A few weeks ago I started making coffee in my room with a regular pot first and didnt go down to vape for at least an hour. So now that I'm not vaping at all, but broke my old routine (downstairs + keurig then vape) it has been ok once I'm all the way awake....its those moments right after i wake up before I open my eyes that are the hardest when my brain tries as hard as it can to kill me LOL. It will stop....it always does...Thank you again for all your support! Chantix has been a lifesaver for me. I haven't had any side effects at all....been on it for a month. The only weirdness I've noticed is that the reason I quit when I did was because the Chantix was working: I didn't have physical cravings, and even the mental cravings had eased. Now that I've actually quit I'm having cravings LOL. how has it been for you? How long have you been on it, and what side effects have you had if any?