Kris

Boo I had the honor of watching a neighbor build one very much like this for his baby girls. I got to watch those girls play in that little house for years. I cried the day he took it down, his girls so big that it was coming apart and they did not use it anymore. The childhood memories though will be with them forever. You give your baby such a gift of love! K

Steven, I am so happy for you, I am right behind you at six weeks here. I also have other issues to deal with but have decided to accept the anxiety and depression for what it is. It has been with me since childhood. I have decided at my age now I will just let it be. It is part of me and does not deserve my time, I find that since I made that decision that is melting into the background. The same with the smoking it also is slipping away, never thought any of this would happen. I am happy to finally feel some relief no matter how long of short it is, embrace it..... you are winning!! K

I hope your furbaby is better, don't forget extra dog food/treats. K

Hate to say it because I am woman but I could grow one too! Not gonna do it and send you a picture but yours is great! Us girls never knew that we could get facial hair in old age. I am glad for you but sad for me. LOL K

I kind of felt this coming. Having been in bad situations taught me hope for the best and plan for the worst. I have enough supplies to get me thru for 2 or 3 months if it comes to that if we have to lockdown again. I pray that will not happen but I am ready. If you can and have the space it is not a bad idea for us older compromised people. K

No cough, I am sure I don't smell like an ashtray but I must have in the past. Did not smoke in the house but the car must have been horrible, I think it must be better. Do not smell it on others but I go out rarely now with pandemic. I suffer from chronic migraine which effects my sense of smell but I do know I breathe easier and it only just over a month K

Going back to the pizza thing. In the kitchen making pizza dough. All that talk made me have a crave but it's for pizza not for a cig. K

I am here! Maybe someday I will learn how to add something cute. K

Momma Bear, When you have just started your quit the cravings will be there. You are more than likely feeling them for other things,(stress is my big trigger) it is our brain telling us something that is not true. We don't need to smoke, it is the memory of smoking that tricks us into feeling that way. That it will somehow make us feel better about the challenges we all face daily. I have not smoked in 5 weeks which I thought I could never do but I have done it. I just keep telling myself that new stuff will take over that space in my mind. Just breathe, find something to distract you for a few minutes, it will pass, I learned that here and it does work, K

Thanks Doreen, It's just a strange feeling to be who you are now and not who you were then. I can't figure out where the time went because I was not there when it was happening. I was so busy working and taking care of everything and everyone that I disappeared and now I just don't have a clue how to find myself. Makes no sense but it's true. K

Hi and Welcome, It is hard but will get easier, I promise. I am only at five weeks so I still am struggling. Your handle is Momma Bear, Momma's protect their young, you and I are both doing that by making the commitment to quit. It may be hard but we will do it! These people will help you I promise! When I feel the crave I just get on here and read until I am somewhere else, that feeling goes away. K

random thought. why can't I sleep. It is 2 in the morning and I am up watching Netflix. I feel like an alien from another planet. Many of us are older, widowed and have made the decision to quit for health reasons. For me it all seems so strange, my husband is gone, I know my age, but in my head it does seem possible. Just yesterday we were still young, raising our son, working hard for retirement. Now I walk by a mirror and I don't know who that is, it can't be me and where is my husband? Where did the last 17 years go? Does anyone out there have these thoughts? Does anyone feel that they are trapped in a body and a life that is not yours? Sorry, late night rant. K

Will stay by what I have said. For me only I stand by this. I do believe in addictive personality. As humans we are always looking for things to find that make us feel better in our own minds. If we started smoking in our teen years it was to fit in and feel accepted by our peers. Yes then we became addicted to a drug (nicotine). For me this was the case and I now understand this. I think for me it helps to know this and helps me in my quit. As we get older we can see our life in a different way. We do not have to see ourselves thru others eyes, we realize we have to be who we are. I am not a smoker, but my genetics led me to become a smoker to fit in. My sister never smoked but is addicted to being perfect when she goes out, dressed to the nines, full makeup and hair. I on other hand save that behavior for special occasions. I don't see the need to try to impress anyone I might see at Walmart. As Abby says her new addiction is going for a walk, that is what we need to do, replace a bad or harmful behavior to a healthful one. I don't think anyone is wasting their time trying to quit smoking, even if they have to try multiple times before they get it done. As BKP said it is worth the effort and struggle. Doreen you replaced what was bad by helping others thru the struggle. As Katgirl said we can all be come addicts by choices we made. The choice we make now is that we are not smokers and will not fall victim to this again! K

Great post Abby! I do believe that some of us just have addictive genes. If not one thing is could be another. I did not know this was a thing when I was young. I have learned thru therapy some of us are naturally inclined to have depression, anxiety and addictive behaviors. If you've got it don't be ashamed just deal best you can and learn as much as you can. Will not go away but you will find ways to cope. K

Why do women suffer hair thinning? (ie me?)

Hi John, glad to meet you! I am only a month into my quit and I must say it has not been as hard as I thought. I have my bad days where I want to smoke but I refuse to cave. If all these people can do it we can too! I like you had a health wake up, hip replacement due to smoking killed my hip joint, then cat scan showed the start of emphysema. I did not pick a day, cried for a few days knowing what I had to do. I bought my cigs by the carton and decided when there were no more I was done. So that was it, I have been using the nicotine lozenges to help but have already been able to cut that way back. That may not be the way to go, for some no nicotine is best. I like you have been in extreme caregiving role for about 15 years and I know how much that takes out of you. I will say the last hard one was also my Mom. Moved her in with me. It came to the point after 2 years I could not keep her safe at home and had to place her in care. Please don't feel bad if you have to do that, sometimes it is the best thing/ You have had the strength to do all of those things, now you need to use it to take care of you! K

I am scared of where this might go just like many of you. I am vaccinated but continue to isolate as much as possible and still wear a mask when I go out. I will continue with all the safeguards going forward. I still think things are not safe yet as so many of you feel. I am concerned about financial issues as prices continue to rise. I am building safe pantry just in case, not hoarding but making sure I have the basic needs are covered in case of another lock down. Just dry goods, flour. yeast, sugar, tea, dry beans and canned veggies and meats. I of course have bought plenty of dog food for the pets as well. We all need the TP of course. I don't think it will come to that but we never expected this in the first place. These are things I would buy anyway so they will get used. I think for those of us who live alone and on a fixed income it is better to be prepared than not. At least we are saving money not buying smokes, there was a day that would be at the top of the list but not anymore. Something good has come out of the bad. K

Thanks for the support so much!!! Sorry I have been away in a dark room for a few days with migraine. I still have my quit, I am in shock that I am doing this and that I have been able to keep going. K

Gus, Congratulations!!! I have been out of the loop, is your new job going well? It speaks so much about you, keeping your quit safe while starting a new job. I have no doubt you are forever quit! K

Is it furry chicken chow mien?

do not know how I got here, just glad I am here. I don't think I would be doing so well with giving up the smokes without having the support of others going thru the same thing. I am grateful that the site is here. K

does anyone have a chow?

because of pets do you have to?

Let's move on does anyone else have to vacuum or sweep once a day?

Yes I think I can, I just get way carried away sometimes don't you agree?