Down to the wire

[Abby]

Thinking back 10 years ago I was a ball of nerves , panic and anxiety . Also very sick .

The fear of how'd I'd be able to live life without a cigarette was overwhelming and breathtaking . It seemed beyond comprehension  , Impossible that this addict could be anything but an addict .

I thought I'd die a happy addict ..

Ya ! I see heads shakin up n down ...

                                                              You  know what I'm talkin about .

 

Anyone stressed  here ? 

 

If I were to rate the stress level in my life it would be a 10 . It's never been below that . ( I won't go into detail but think about yours )

Is yours a 10 as well ? 

Stress is the number one excuse smokers give up after three days ,  a week , three weeks .  I was no different . It was my biggest excuse over and over and over . 

Did that stress level change when I quit ?

I know you wanna hear yes, but this is my story lol .  

For me , no . No , its still a 10 . In fact honestly it's an eleven now , but I can tell you I handle stress better than I ever did in my entire life because I've learned it will always be there . Its life . Smokers have stress , ex smokers have stress and non smokers have stress . No one has to smoke because of it and we can stay quit because of it . We all can live life without a cigarette .. we absolutely can and are . I am not trying to pull your leg or make this all sound rosy so you will quit if you are a newcomer .. it's true . You will handle your stress better . My elders told me this when I was a newcomer and they were right .

Ha those elders have twenty years smoke free now .  How awesome is that ! 

 

So what I'm saying , is quit ok . Quit using stress as your excuse . Quit using the fighting spouse ,   the financial hardships , the daughter or sons pain , the death of your friend or your loved one or whatever else and quit for good .  I know this sounds harsh , but it's so true what an addict will do to keep on smoking .  I know it because I did it . Those those things hurt , really hurt  , but smoking wont help .

 

Come in to this quit not giving yourself an excuse to fail this time . No excuses ... none .

That's how simple I kept it this time and for me it is working . I wanna hit that 15 year mark . Who knows maybe twenty . 

I don't know if my story will help you , because you have your own story , but I hope you take something away that might give you that burning desire to be free . 

 

Keep it simple , refuse to lose. 

 

To you newcomers , you are amazing . Taking those first step is guts , it's pride, it joy , it's hard , it's worth it .  So so very proud of you . 

[Kris]

Dear Abby, I am new but am doing it. I cried when the doctor called and said I had the beginning signs of emphysema. What's worse I cried when I told my son.

I cried when to doctor called because I had to face the fact that no one but me

caused this happen.

 

I cried when I told my son about it, not that I was afraid on what I brought on myself but that I would have to say goodbye to a friend of 40 years.  I cried because I did not know how I was going to able to quit. He just hugged me and said it's okay Mom, you just will have to do it a day at a time.

 

I am dealing with the guilt  and the shame of the decision I made to smoke all this time. So I think we all have to deal with that in one way or another.  Then we have to make the decision that we can do it, we will quit and away we go.

 

I don't like living alone at all but right now I am glad because I can cry when I want and I can't be cranky and fussy with any one over the fact that I, I alone am responsible for getting this done.  I will do it, day 11, have not caved. I just think of my son saying I could do it.

K