Gus

Thank you @Christian99 No need to apologize for truth. It’s what we need to hear. Truth saves! My husband died from cancer(not smoking related). He was a smoker though. Up until the very day of his death, when he could no longer speak he would hold his hand out rubbing his thumb against those first two fingers. It was his way of asking for a cigarette. He no longer had the ability to even smoke it. But the anguish and anxiety of not getting the cigarettes was evident and extremely distressing. For him and others. If ever an image was needed to never smoke again it would be the one you have or the one I have or the one @Doreensfree has. Thank you for prompting this memory for me. I will use it. I will use it to stay free and healthy and whole.

Fraiche orange

Tomato

Sensational Cessationists!

...sigh. I miss my endorphin rushes. What a high!

Beautiful day for you too @Linda! Aren’t expressions of caring and love the most worthwhile?

I’m so glad that you had such a great day! @jillar Sounds so wonderful.

Aww thanks! And I think the mental battle lasts forever. The battles just get further and further apart and easier to shake. Sonic is a fast food restaurant. An Oreo Blast is just a vanilla milkshake with Oreo cookie bits blended in. Super sweet and soooo good! I always get the whipped cream and on top too! Yums!!!

Noodles

This too shall pass @Dianne Pit your head down. Do something, anything that requires concentration and busy fingers until it passes and YESSSS, breathe!!!!

Cube/Ice/Benjamins

Salad de la creme (acceptable?)

Mace really burns

Grilled cheese

-9

I decided to treat myself to a Sonic Oreo Blast today because I am so awesome and it was so hot today, so I queue up with what seems like everyone else in my town into the drive-thru line. After a few minutes I notice the driver side window of the vehicle ahead of me open a little and this youthful, dainty, nicely tanned, French manicured, ring laden hand slides through the opening with the gold spangled bracelet laden wrist resting atop the glass. The movements of said appendage truly were delicate and elegant, but purpose driven as it periodically appeared and retreated back into the cool confines of it’s hosts mode of transportation because like I said it was so hot today! My mind had initially conceded how pleasant and serene it all looked until I noticed how disruptive the streams of hazy blue smoke from a cigarette and the smokers disgusting mouth clouded the view and the reeking odor from said cigarette filled my nostrils. The window had to be cracked to keep the smoke from irritating the children in the backseat and to keep most of the air conditioning inside the vehicle because as I’ve said it was so hot today! I wanted to yell out my window, “Quit! Quit now! It gets so much harder the longer you wait. Your children deserve all of the time and attention you can possibly give them. Please quit before the whole of your life is mandated by the next cigarette you can have!” Of course the moment passed and I had the recollection of when this was me and how now; looking back, I can see that if I had quit then how very different my life would be. I expressed my regret of lost time, lost friends and loves, and lost experiences. I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. I said a prayer of thankfulness that I survived to enjoy at least one day quit! I am happy. I am content. I am joyful. The Blast was so very delicious, but fleeting because like I said it was so very hot today!

Hello and welcome Linda. Great start in finding us and with the two week quit! You will find so much support here and just an overall sense of amiability and helpfulness pervade this forum. I too had grown so tired of the smell of those filthy cigarettes and once I had quit smoking I couldn’t believe that I had walked around smelling that bad for well over half of my life. And I had gotten to where I would spray a little Clorox Cleanup on my fingers and scrub with an old toothbrush to remove the stains from my fingers. It worked. I don’t recommend it though. LOL Just one of the stupid masking attempts smokers make to cover up their addiction. Well, anyway I just wanted to say hello! Stay close and SOS if you need us!

I bet that is some great tasting coffee for more than one reason Kat!

You will persevere @Linda! I have faith in you! I have days where I find myself subconsciously reaching for my cigarettes when I’m busy and near one of those areas. Sometimes, as I’m leaving I stand at my door and spend an inordinate amount of time running through my checklist because I just know that I’ve forgotten something. HaHa It’s mental! Completely mental! And so annoying! I do hope that you have a sun shiny day! My thoughts will be with you!

@Katgirl

Welcome BmoreRaven! I’m sorry about your breathing. I would definitely get checked out. I don’t have any breathing issues and I’m 2 months into my quit. Smoked for 35 years. But I do have an anxiety disorder. And it has been worse since I quit smoking. It’s getting better slowly, but there are days when I wake up triggered. Nothing seems to help but crying it out. I am doing NRT patches and my last 7mg patch will be next Friday. Looking forward to it, but also concerned about my anxiety issue. I have a lot planned starting next Saturday. I plan on staying so busy and preoccupied that hopefully I can completely manage any attack. But if not, I will deal with it and keep on with my quit. I refuse to go back. I would not survive another initial quit. I hope everything turns out okay for you! I’m glad that you found us! Stay close and you can freely speak here of any issues you have. It helps you to voice them and it helps others to read them. Hopefully, you get some real help out the responses given.

Ball Melon (I so had to cheat..)

Iceberg lettuce

Wavy hair care

TACO