What made you make the decision to quit!

[Kris]

I think I may be the weird one here.  In February 2020 I started having pain low back and hip.  

Went to the GP, pinched nerved, inflammation....medicine, heat, ice, rest. Would get better and then flair again,

and then COVID. Could not go to the doctor for awhile.  Finally back to GP, reflexes were off, something is wrong with your back, sent to ortho, spine guy. He took xrays, not back/spine, hip problem and it is bad.  He did not go into detail.  Had to wait 2 weeks to see the hip guy and all the while pain is getting worse.  Spine guy, your hip has collapsed.  Tried twice to do MRI but could not stay still due to pain, had to go to hospital and get put under to get the MRI.  Diagnosis, AVN avascular necrosis(never heard of it vary rare) the top of my femur had died and broken apart due to lack of blood supply from smoking and increased by my alcohol consumption after my husband died inn 2010.  Had to wait a couple of more weeks before they could do total hip replacement and one suicide attempt later due to pain,. finally done.  Recover from hip replacement a breeze compared to earlier pain  Regular G{ check up, insurance now pays for lung cancer screening, had the CT, not cancer but the start of emphysema.  I have watched people suffer this slow horrible death, I will not do it, I will not make my son watch it and take care of me, he had enough pain with his Dad. 

SO I AM DONE!

K 

 

[jillar]

Oh my @Kris, what a horrible year for you too! I'm so glad you have some relief now! And by quitting you will heal much quicker and slow the progression of COPD.

I quit because of breathing issues too and unfortunately not in time to avoid severe emphysema

You're doing great!

[Linda]

@Kris  Wow you have a rough time!! This is the place to be!! Lots of support and great people!!

You are doing awesome!!! I quit for health reasons also. I have the beginnings of emphysema also so I need to make this quit stick

Edited June 26, 2021 by Linda
Content

[Gus]

@Kris Things will be better. They are already headed that way. Stay strong and fight for your life and there is no other better reason to do that than out of love for another. Stay close and holler when you need us. We are here for you!

[Kris]

Thanks for your replies, did not know if I was the only one facing immediate health issues.

I did not know if I could do this after 40 years with my friend, now I know my enemy well.

Thinking of all of you and praying for all of you, somehow we can all do this one dream at a time for better health and a future of relief from worry.

K

[Rozuki]

@Kris, yes, you have had a tough time! That's why it is so important to take smoking poison sticks off the table!!

 

Having a stroke while at work did it for me. Threw away the cigs as I was transported to the hospital! Good thing I quit when I did...because just after my 1 year quitversary...I had to have a CABGx3 (a triple bypass open heart surgery). I was also diagnosed with very early stage emphysema after that. I seemed to be seeing one doctor after another (neurologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, dermatologist) and was lucky that all I had to do was quit smoking (after 40+ years). I was filled with anxiety and anger about why did I smoke so long - I knew all about the damage I was causing to my body through the years!

 

Needed to get my personal life in order and thanks to help from family and friends along with online support from 2 quit smoking support groups (QSMB and QuitTrain), I started to slowly get back on track (no pun intended!). 

 

Today, I am much more focused on my health and the man I now share my life with.  The anger and anxiety has really lessened...well, as much as it could while enduring these pandemic times. 

 

Stay strong....!

 

 

[Kris]

Rozuki,.

Thanks for your reply, I am not a computer expert, first timer on a board like this so have patience with  me.

I am sorry to hear how much you have suffered.  Deep in my heart I always knew things would go bad. Even when my husband was given the terminal skin cancer diagnosis, I still could not quit.

 

I am the most stupid example of denying the facts when I watched the person I held/hold most dear disappear before my eyes.

I am and forever will be ashamed of my behavior, There was so much stress and all consuming fear

that I could not do the right thing.

I need to spend more time reading the board so I can try to help others and appreciate the gifts of what you have shared. 

 

K

 

 

[Doreensfree]

Kris ....

Smoking sure wrecks our lives....Glad you found us ....

Your with good company ....

I watched my Hubby suffer for over 15 years with Emphysema....slowly getting worse ..he smoked until he physically couldn't take a puff.....he died due to complications....

Did I Quit at the beginning of his journey ...No....

I carried on until I was told my feet and I will soon be parted if I didn't Quit ...

I found these good folks here ...who Guided me all the way to Freedom ...

Most smokers don't quit until it effects them in some way ....

You can do it ...stay close and post and join in other folks quits ...it makes your stronger ..

[Gus]

6 hours ago, Kris said:

Thinking of all of you and praying for all of you, somehow we can all do this one dream at a time for better health and a future of relief from worry.

Well said @Kris! 

[jillar]

@Kris, we all have regrets like that. My father and his younger brother died of Esophageal cancer and Throat cancer respectively within two years of each other and I continued to smoke. My uncle had been quit for a couple years when he was diagnose

Try not to be hard on yourself, we can't undo the past but we can try to make our future better. And you're doing just that by quitting 

[Abby]

Kris , I am amazed at the things you've overcome to be honest and proud of you for not giving up . I feel in my bones your going to do well with this quit . Sometimes it's those hard things that makes our quits easier . I never quit smoking until it was my last resort . An undiagnosed rare illness . I filled out my will that year , ten years ago . 

Not  long after I put out my last cig I got a call from the dr with a diagnosis . He'd seen it in another country and had a hunch .  Ten years I searched for the answer , I almost gave up . I owe my quit to two ladies on that journey to discovery from many many hospital visits . 

They helped me quit and don't know it . 

One was a lady who had facial reconstruction due to smoking who begged me to quit and the another a lady on oxygen still smoking begging me for a cigarette . 

 

Edited June 26, 2021 by Abby

[garry mhudson]

You are pretty tough Kris so I am betting you  make this quit stick. Myself, I quit after years of smoking that included a couple short quits and the cutting back that never worked. I fell in the hallway with what I thought was the flu. Turned out to be a viral pneumonia and if a friend had not found me i may have died. Could not stand or crawl to my phone, just passed out with couple rib fractures and concussion. After 2 and a half days in ICU I got to you to a room where the next day they asked if I wanted a patch since i was a smoker. I had been telling myself for years that if only I could get away without smoking for a few days I could quit. time to put up or shut up. Said no to the patch and no to smoking since sept 2016 and I can say it is well worth it whatever time we have left and doing it for your son speaks volumes of character. I wish you well and stick close here. Lots of good folks and and information and support. God bless and hang in there.

[Kris]

Garry, so sorry it took me so long to reply. Your post brought up alot of fear in me. Sounds like you live alone.  I do also, and have deep fears about the situation. I can only imagine how scared you must have been when you collapsed. You are blessed to have a friend that came to check on you, I

am assuming they had tried to reach you without success.

 

I am living alone for the first time in my life, my son, his wife, grandson moved out after they saved enough to be able to buy their own home.  I had my mother here for a couple of years until she declined so bad I could not keep her safe.  I lost the love of my life to cancer about 10 years ago, we were childhood sweethearts, together at 15 and parted at 51.  The last blow was losing my best friend (and my husbands) last year. We had known each other from the age of 7.  He was the person who looked after me when my husband died, calling everyday to make sure I was ok and give the weather and stock market report(LOL)

 

I hate to say but I thought I was the only one being tortured but it seems we all are in one way or another. I pretty much left the world (became a hermit) when my husband died. All of you are the most human contact I have had for years.  The stress of the quit is hard but the joy of meeting people who want help me is a blessing. Sorry to be so chatty.

K

 

 

[johnny5]

On 6/25/2021 at 8:40 PM, Kris said:

 I have watched people suffer this slow horrible death, I will not do it, I will not make my son watch it and take care of me, he had enough pain with his Dad. 

SO I AM DONE!

K 

 

 

Welcome to QuitTrain, @Kris  You are doing a great thing in quitting smoking.  Any reason to quit smoking is a great reason to quit.  Your personal health and wanting to be around for others are great reasons.

 

Without going into great detail, I just grew sick of all the crap that went along with smoking (the smell, being out of breath, horrible smokers cough, the financial cost, being looked down at in an increasingly anti-smoking society, etc. etc. etc.) and decided to take my life back.  It was tough at first but the support and knowledge I got from a site like this really helped.

 

Quitting smoking is a great thing and I am glad you are doing this. 

[Kate18]

On 6/26/2021 at 12:46 AM, Doreensfree said:

I watched my Hubby suffer for over 15 years with Emphysema....slowly getting worse ..he smoked until he physically couldn't take a puff.....he died due to complications....

Did I Quit at the beginning of his journey ...No....

I carried on until I was told my feet and I will soon be parted if I didn't Quit ...

I found these good folks here ...who Guided me all the way to Freedom ...

Most smokers don't quit until it effects them in some way ....

You can do it ...stay close and post and join in other folks quits ...it makes your stronger ..

Doreen, you have always been inspirational. You are one of the key reasons that I kept returning to QSMB and this site to "try, try again." And succeeded.

[Kris]

Kate18, I am so very sorry for your loss, we all experience grief in a different way and know I am learning that we do the same when we find the strength to quit.

With out the people here I think I would have already failed, I am so grateful they tolerate the crazy me.

K

[Angeleek]

I always wanted to quit. I had phases when I "enjoyed" smoking, but for the most part I hated being a smoker but was so dang addicted, both physically and psychologically. I tried a few times but always relapsed. The last relapse was due to depression kicking in, so I knew I would be battling that at the next quit and was prepared for it emotionally. Watching my mom die of COPD and congestive heart failure due to smoking was the most horrible thing to witness.  I decided I did not want to have the same outcome as hers and decided to quit for real and good. Six months later, I quit cold turkey for a few days but fumbled due to the nicotine gum addiction.  Six more months later, after having canned the Nicorette and putting together a very detailed quit plan, I ditched the ciggies cold turkey.  Found this great place 40 days in. Choo Choo!

Edited July 4, 2021 by Angeleek

[Kris]

Proud for you! I am still using NRT but working my way down, Only quit is 14 days right now, I will get the nicotine out once I have solved the problem of not wanting to light one up.  Some times

I am okay other times I am not.  I must get there.

K