My Eventful Journey-Repost by jillar

[jillar]

For @DeadlyChicken and anyone else experiencing these things...

Posted 29 July 2016 - 05:32 PM

In following the footsteps of devo and andra, I decided to post how my first two months have gone: the first three weeks were pretty much just as I expected. Irritable, lack of concentration, extreme cravings for sweets, fatigue, insomnia,tongue soreness, gums bleeding, among other things. I thought that that would be the extent of the "bad things". On the positive, my breathing improved, my sense of smell really improved, my tongue shed it's nicotine skin to a nice pink healthy tongue, my taste changed ( dr. Pepper isn't as good as I've always thought it was), my body, hair and clothes didn't stink anymore.
Then I hit a month, suddenly my breathing got worse again, fatigue is ever present gums still bled although not as often. Week seven, had nausea, fatigue, lack of appetite,wake to tar taste in my mouth, a sign that lungs are finally starting to clean.
Month two, have finally noticed that my breathing is slowly getting better, gums rarely bleed, sleeping like a baby, appetite much better.
I'm posting this for anyone who isn't having an uneventful journey in their quit to show you are not alone.

 

 

[Sazerac]

Wow, Jillar.

So happy you stuck with your quit !

Everybody's quit is unique.

 

I didn't have any physical problems I could associate with quitting except for the mental fog.

I may be forgetting some, memory dismisses a lot of discomfort.

Oh, right.  I was a champion of flatulence.  

 

It was much more the mental game for me

and it took that first year to really put smokey thoughts and non smokey thoughts to rest.

Taking big beautiful clean breaths and forcing myself to look at or listen to something beautiful

whenever smokes came into my consciousness finally became the habit.

In hindsight, I should have been more aggressive with switching up my thoughts sooner.

 

[MLMR]

Thanks for sharing Jillar! Quitting obviously improved your overall health, although it must have been hard to believe sometimes, in the beginning..  

 

Newbies, be inspired by Jillars story. Stick to your commitment, everything WILL be better!

 

 

Edited January 10, 2020 by MLMR

[jillar]

Yes, it was hard to believe in the beginning. I questioned why I even quit since I felt worse than when I smoked! But after the second month things slowly started improving for me. 

I updated this thread every month and would re-read the whole thing first just so I wouldn't forget where I came from. Unfortunately it was lost when qsmb went down. Luckily this first page of it was archived and I was able to retrieve it

[Doreensfree]

Thanks for posting Jillar...

When you have some years behind you ,it's easy to forget the the early quit ...

Newbies ...we have all been where you are now ....

It's so worth it ....

[Rick92]

Appreciate you sharing that Jillar! Champion effort for keeping the quit alive in the early stages. Definitely a motivating story to start my day  

[DeadlyChicken]

Thanks for posting, but I am now around 3 months quit and have never felt worse, Im scared to go to the dentist because my gums bleed so much when I brush and they never used to bleed ever.  never felt more lethargic, and less healthy than I do now, its really quite depressing.  

 

My diet hasn't really changed but I am bloated and my trousers are now a squeeze to get into ( I was never overweight quite tall and lanky ) its not like I want to smoke again but its really annoying reading all these BS "things that happen when you quit smoking" pamphlets and websites which bear no relation to what actually happened for me at all.  I stopped taking the Nicorette lozenges because I was hoping it was them that made my gums bleed so much when I brush, but it wasn't they just bleed all the time now, I wake up with the taste of blood in my mouth most days.  Im happy for people that say they feel better and their life has turned around, but that's not whats going on for me.  

[Sazerac]

I am so sorry you are not feeling any better and really proud of you for keeping your quit !

I didn't feel great at three months.  I was proud of myself for quitting and amassed my power from that but, I was still struggling.

I don't think many people feel Great until the year is over and life settles into the new 'normal', smoke free.

Then, for me, I realized how great I actually felt and how the struggle was worth it.

How many years did you smoke ?

How long are you nicotine free ?

It is unrealistic to think that you are going to feel GREAT in three months.

You should be feeling better and better as time goes on and you have less craves and triggers to conquer.

 

 

Many of us felt the lethargy and the brain fog.  This passes, you just have to live through it.

The Great Smoke Free Mental Fog

 

Quitting smoking changes you.  A little weight gain is normal.  Get moving.  This will energize you out of the lethargy too.

 

There are many reasons that could explain your gums and your other issues but, you really should consult medical professionals.

Not knowing what is wrong is much more stressful than knowing and taking steps to heal yourself.

 

Smoking often hid physical issues that needed attention and now,  without the veil of smoke,  it is time to address this.

Using Cigarettes To Self Medicate Pre Existing Conditions

[jillar]

@DeadlyChicken, I agree with saz. Three months is awesome to be quit but your body needs much more time to right the wrongs we did to it by smoking. But yourself a waterpik and use a mixture of mouthwash and warm water to give your gums some much needed TLC. Or better yet go to the dentist and tell him your concerns. 

As far as weight gain goes, don't worry about that right now. Gaining weight for most people is normal when quitting and the next goal AFTER you're secure in your quit. 

Trust us when we say this too shall pass, onwards and upwards and my favorite...

 

 

[Doreensfree]

Welcome aboard ...good your here ....

I agree with the above ...smoking damages our bodies in so many ways....a trip to the dentist will at least put your mind at rest ..our brains can be our worst enemies ...

You have a great 3 months quit ... congratulations.....

Your body now has to heal ...this takes time ....

Don't worry about the weight ...one thing at a time ...when you have more months behind you ...you will start to lose the pounds ...

Be patient ,the magic will happen ....

[jillar]

Bump for @Linda and anyone else who may benefit from it. Although all of our quits are different they are all the same in that we quit a nasty, life threatening addiction..