Tyme2B

Oh wow! Good job Rob!

Good for you Rob! You have it all now...you are a non smoker. I am just behind you & still a non smoker too. Success in numbers

One month today as a non smoker.

Neither of my Parents smoked. All 3 of their children did (including me) long term. Neither of my 2 children smoke. None of my sister's children smoke. My youngest sibling died of lung cancer at age 55....deffs smoking related.

Yaaay! Good job cpk!

There is definitely a link so far between smoking parents & smoking children. I seem to be the only exception....I think I did it out of revenge....so did my bro & sister....VERY strict parents....who knows? My bro is dead & my Sis quit smoking a year ago. So we can set a bad example or be too strict???? My kids don't smoke. Thank God!!

Welcome Michelle! I am a Newbie as well and I am so grateful to have found this site. The people here are awesome and truly interested in helping Newbies or Anyone in need. Trust me, you can do it! Each week brings it's challenges but it IS getting easier. Stay on the Board is great advice! You CAN and WILL do this! :)

We are all different Chrispy. You will lose your cough when your body is ready. For now it is nature's way for our lungs to clear so not a bad thing. I'm still waiting too.

I'm not looking to blame our parents....we all made our own decisions as we grew older & adicted....just interested...a poll would deffs be interesting!

Awesome cpk! I am so happy to be reading all of the positives on this Board! It truly makes my day coming to this site! I am addicted to the Board lol! Not to smoking!

Sometimes I wonder how I got hooked on smoking? A dirty, smelly addiction. My parents never smoked. All 3 of their children did smoke. I smoked but my hubby didn't. Our children both tried smoking but gave it up quickly. I lived in Residence when I left home for higher education. A large number of us smoked. It "relieved stress". At that time there were no restrictions on smoking. Even Nurses in Hospitals smoked at the desk on hospital wards & Teachers' Staff rooms billowed out smoke when the door opened. We smoked in our homes, our cars, in the company of our children....now all I can think of is how unsafe & stupid it was. We didn't know back then what we know today. What a shame. But my Parents did not smoke....ever.

My understanding about the cough after quitting smoking is that it is very individual. If a person has a chronic bronchitis & even a mild COPD when they stop smoking, the cough is a part of this disease & will take longer to diminish. The cilia in the lungs can sometimes start to regrow or even just begin to function again after years of mucous clogging their action in our lungs. Drinking plenty of water & juice loosens the mucous so it can be coughed up. I still have a cough in the morning after being smoke free for a month. However the cough is much improved & non productive now. I am hoping that after a lifetime of smoking about 12-15 "light" cigarettes a day that my lungs will improve. Several people on the Board have mentioned their Pulmonary Function Tests improved after quitting smoking. My Doc told me it would take 10 yrs to return to a non smoking state....good thing I quit now! Certainly if a cough does not go away or if there is fever or coloured sputum, a person needs to see their Doc right away. I know how easy it is to worry about what we perceive as "normal" post smoking body language. We are so focused on the quit we get nervous about any "different" reactions or symptoms we may have. But I am learning thanks to this Board & my own research that we ARE all different in our response to long term smoking & quitting smoking. Fortunately there are some commonalities that keep us sane! Good job cpk! You are doing great!!

My brother was diagnosed with COPD at age 50. He was told by the Specialists he must quit smoking. He just could not quit...I think he started smoking at age 14. At age 55 he was diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer. He still just could not quit. The addiction was so strong he was a closet smoker even during chemo & radiation. He didn't make it through the year & died at age 55. This addiction is powerful & deadly.

Hope you are starting to feel better Rob. Nasty viruses out there this year. At least you are not smoking orcstanding out in the cold to get a fix. Get better soon!

Wish I had never started!

I tried to stop many times throughout the years but I liked smoking and when I think back now I wish I had hated it from the beginning. Here I am quitting at age 62. I was diagnosed with chronic bronchitis & mild COPD. Whenever I got a cold I ended up with pneumonia. This year I have not even contracted a cold (knock on wood). I want to live a healthy life & enjoy my life & my grandchildren. And I certainly want to set a good example for them! When my grandfather was dying of lung cancer he asked me to promise him I would not smoke. But I did. His words were so wise, he regretted and I still didn't listen. Foolish! But I have now started the rest of my life as a non smoker. My sister & 2 friends who were long time smokers quit last year. When we are young we think we are invinceable. But as we age we discover we're not! Nasty habits like this are tough to break. BUT we CAN stop.

Thanks to Everyone for your support. I can do this...I am going to have to expect bad days during these early stages but I am a non smoker! I tell myself this a lot!!! Your group experience on this Board certainly helps to keep Newbies on the train! xx

Marti! Your journal entry was SO helpful! You were there too. Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

40 days is awesome Laura! Good for you! I am at day 24 & am having same prob. I'm thinking that because nicotine is a stimulant when we have it with a cup of coffee it becomes a quick wake me up habit. Apparently this difficulty getting out of bed WILL go away. Long time habits take time to break. It WILL get better!!!! We can count on it!

Yes it could be just humdrum time One. Just wish it would go away. So easy to blame it on not smoking....after all a cigarette or 5 in the past supposedly helped me deal....but I know it really didn't deep down. My husband has booked a trip for us away from the frigid, snowy Canadian weather to help. I can't feel excited yet but as I start to pack, maybe I will! At least I have positive support :) From this site & from him.

Evelyn.....I know how you are feeling and I understand totally as I am doing the same. We have to stay strong. We are proud we have quit but feel that one cigarette will help with the stress..help us cope. But it's just a dream Evelyn. It would only cause us to feel guilty & disappointed in ourselves. No one knows our individual lives or individual stresses. We need to learn to cope in a different way. Lighting up some tobacco wrapped in paper helping us to cope is an illusion. There are better & more healthy ways to cope. I'm trying to find them too and I will. We are all different in our feelings & our stressors in life & consideration for each other is necessary. I would be happy to share how I am refusing to go back or fall off the train. I have had a few bad days too recently but we can beat this! I could use some help too....like you. So let's work together to find a way to avoid smoking ever again. A picec of nicotine gum seems to relax me. Then I go back to regular gum. Keeps me on the train :)

25 days since my last smoke now. Maybe I was expecting too much in reading how much better I would feel. I feel worse as in depressed but at least the insomnia is going away. I DO feel proud I have stopped smoking. But I want to sleep or just escape reality these days. Nothing exercise related or looking forward to something works to lift my low spirits. I have read about grieving & other things that affect mood. Oh well, I am sure it will eventually get better.