sgt.barney

EZPZ

4594

How did you avoid it for those 6 years. Do that. Except longer. EZPZ

Sarge has been quit for 11+ years ... Mrs. Sarge for 8-ish years now. We financed all our climbing gear (approx $6,000) ... and an extra 2 to 4 week trip (Iceland and Wales this year) to exotic locations to climb mountains and glaciers world wide. Hasn't cost us a dime that smoking didn't cost. A much healthier habbit, too ... but quicker death if something goes wrong up there. EZPZ

Easy. Peasy. Lemon. Sqeezy.

Folks make it too hard to climb. It's not that complicated. Tie in. Rack up. Send it. Don't make your mountain any more difficult than it has to be. EZPZ

> as the brain fog became unbearable It was perfectly bearable. You wanted to smoke so you *chose* otherwise. This time. Choose otherwise next time and all will be well. EZPZ

QSMB imploded long before that ... and that implosion birthed this site. It finally died years later.

Olde Pharte checking in: QSMB 2011 We're mostly still around. Some more than others. Sarge manages to stop by every quarter or so. EZPZ

Indeed. EZPZ

EZPZ

It is as difficult or as easy as you choose to make it. Your current ... situation ... (whatever it may be) ... is 100٪ self inflicted. You are in control of the outcome here. Time to start making the right choices ... right? EZPZ

Sarge is a child born of the late 1960s. Grew up in the 1970s and early 80's. Back in those days it hovered around 40% of the adult population here in These United States. Just about half of folks smoked. Currently, the CDC lists cigarette usage at about 13% of the US Population. It's down. Considerably. A. Lot. These are legit stats published by the CDC. If you google, you will find them (Sarge is too damned lazy to do it for you) EZPZ

Would you have gone to see The Doc for these symptoms had you not quit? There's your answer. EZPZ.

Why? A horrible Doc visit (after 10+ years of avoiding same). Stage II Hypertension (ridiculously high blood pressure (regularly clocked at 170/110 (YIKES!!!)) Pre-Diabetes (ridiculously high blood glucose levels) Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Syndrome Hypercholesterolemia (ridiculously high cholesterol levels (triglycerides off the motherfucking charts). Quitting smoking was just one of a multi-pronged, life-changing series of events (weight loss (60+ lbs), physical training (became a marathon runner), changed diet (mostly plant-based, healthy diet (used to live on Taco Bell, Doritos, Pepsi, and Pop-Tarts), quit a high-stress job/career, started sleeping (CPAP) ... Quittin smoking (along with the rest) erased all that. It's a decade later and they're still gone. Almost all disappeared within the first year. The blood pressure took almost 6 years, but it's quite normal now. Sarge will enter his 60s with zero meds (other than a Vitamin D defiency (easily correctable with a simple supplement)) and healthier than he was in his 20s and 30s ... and with a bit of luck, no complications from almost 3 decades of suckin' the Death Sticks. EZPZ.

Tip of the hat to my friend, Jon. EZPZ.

It is time to leave The Temple, young Grasshopper ... EZPZ

> Still smoking!!!! Sarge is here to inform you that, well, ... That's just farking stupid. Stop that shit. Now. EZPZ

Sarge says again: a pledge is useless. Millions upon millions upon millions of failures demonstrate this beyond any doubt. Beyond. Any. Doubt. The fact that it (LOL) "works for some" is a testament to The Some ... and not to The Pledge. The Pledge is useless without the conviction of the individual behind it. Do not think, my friends, that because you ... (LOL) ... "pledge" ... something ... that you will be successful. You won't. If you will be successful ... you will be successfull WITH OR WITHOUT ... empty words. EZPZ

There is only one "OK" way. Put the cigarettes down and never smoke another so long as you live. Anything else is unnecessarily irrelevant detail. None of that other crap matters. There is one-and-only-one step: Never. Smoke. Again. ALL successful quitters are stuck at this step and will never move past it. ALL failed quits fail when this step fails. Nothing. Else. Matters. EZPZ

Meh. The Sarge is into his 10th year quit and has never taken the NOPE pledge. He doesn't believe in it. It doesn't work. Literally MILLIONS of folks do it. NEVER AGAIN! NOPE! NOT ME!!! I pledge ... yadda yadda yadda ... blah blah blah ... and are smoking before the day/week/month is out. HINT: It's not at all necessary and doesn't buy you anything at all. Just be done with the whole shebang once and for all and you don't need a NOPE Pledge. The pledge itself is useless. Worth less than nothing. It's the intent behind the pledge that is EVEYTHING, and it stands on its own. No. Pledge. Required. EZPZ

It is never too late AND it is always too late. It is too late to avoid the damage that has already been done. Much of it will be reversable. Not at all ALL of it. Permanent damage is permanent, after all. We all have to live with that. The good news: You can avoid doing ADDITIONAL damage. Quit now, and you will do no more damage. What can be healed will start to heal. What can't ... won't. Saying "It's too late" is nothing more than a bullshit excuse. Don't make excuses. Stop. The. Insanity. EZPZ

Sarge cautions you to amend your thinking: You have not had success before. You have not quit before. Had you, we would not be having this conversation. Other than that: go on with your efforts. Have success this time. Actually QUIT this time. EZPZ.

Sarge just wants to add a data point here: You don't have to avoid smokers. Just decide that you are not one of 'em. Mrs. Sarge smoked for the first 3 years of Sarge's quit. (She's been quit 6+ years now) For 3-ish years there were Smokes ... Lighters ... Ashtrays ... Packs ... Cartons ... <EveryDamnedWhere> In the house. Every room. In the garage. In the cars. In the barn. Smoking paraphernalia everywhere. None of it matters. When you're done, you're done and it doesn't matter what's around you. When you decide you're done, when you're ready to actually Quit ... none of it matters. You'll have to learn to live with people who smoke, anyway, right? They're everywhere. Learn to say "No" and *mean it* and you'll be just fine. Sarge promises. All you need do is decide you're done. EZPZ

You have not Quit yet. You've merely abstained for irrelevantly short periods of time. Quitting is forever. You ... y'know ... Quit. Never to have another again. 7 (so-called) "quits" in a year is not A-Thing™, no matter how long or short you happened to abstain. A Quit is ... y'know ... QUIT. Forever. Not a Pause. Not a temporary "I'm not smoking now" ... But a ... Quit. ALSO: Quit fuckin' around. Shit or get of the pot, right? EZPZ