Oneistoo's Quit Journal

[Doreensfree]

This is a lovely prayer....thank you for sharing...x

[Doreensfree]

My senses are finally kicking in too.  I took my step daughter to an appt today and the middle doorway smelled like smoke and I fanned it away like it stunk and I'd never smelled something so vulgar then laughed at myself once I realized :) We are living in an upstairs apartment and I don't feel winded going up and down for the past couple days. Its been absolutely wonderful! Every time I walk up or down them I think to myself like we have lived here for a year. This could have been such an easy year if I hadn't been smoking. What on earth would possess someone to make life more difficult? Then miss it when you give it up? *ding ding ding* lol

 

Doreen 52 years???

Yes..it pains me to admit...I was a 52 year addict....or plonker.....

It came with a price though....

If I hadn't of found Allen Carr....and all my wonderful friends here....my life would be so different now....

Keep the quit......I intend to hang on to mine.....

Xxxxx

[Devil Doll]

Thanks, DD. That is truly scary. What is even more scary is my imagined visual of all of the cigarettes I have smoked in my life. The f'ing absurdity of it all! 

 

I better not think too much about your name, DD...or I might get nasty dreams tonight! DevilDolls with cigarettes! As you can see from my avatar, I'm a heavenly creature painted by Leonardo.

hahaha I have a halo.  :angel:

You can call me Jenn too I am one of the many Jennifer's of the board. 

[Jen]

Doreen that is absolutely wonderful! Even after so many years if you can kick that nasty old habit so can I!! Your amazing!

 

This is literally the longesttttt I've been without smoking since I was 16 yrs old. I feel great. I notice things I've never noticed before. I used to get winded walking to the bathroom at night, when I got back to my bed and laid down I had to take a few minutes to steady my breathing before trying to sleep. OMG and I didn't even notice that until I quit! I came back to my bed laid down rolled over and took a deep breath my first thought was holy crap I can breathe! Never again will I ever light up. Nothing I have been thru in the past few days is worth it. I'm sick of rationalizing for something that is going to kill me and everyone around me.

 

Oneistoo How are you feeling today?? Run out of your I can't even remember what you called them but I remember you said they were lozenges. What was your plan when you run out??

[Jen]

haha Jen is a common name :) When I lived in Washington like 3rd grade I had 5 Jennifer's in my grade (they split us up into 2 classes) It must have been something about the 80's and the name Jennifer lol although still pretty common name! Like Bill and John

[Oneistoo]

Although I have some 20 nicotine microtabs left, I've only felt like having one thus far today. As a result I'm quite irritable and very clumsy, but I think that's just chemical havoc in my body. I keep thinking about the fact that taking a microtab starts the withdrawal process over. And I'm not even nicotine free as long as I use the replacements. That's pretty annoying (lol).

 

The place that I used to buy cigarettes from sells this candy where you customize your own bag from big bins. So that I wouldn't robotically go buy a pack of cigarettes on my way home, I instead fantasized about the combination of candy I'd make. It seemed to work. I've read that quite a few of you have used sugar to help manage the first many days so I guess it's a good approach. I can switch to more healthy, natural-sugar smoothies as soon as my mood is better. 

[Kristin]

I used lollipops, mints and gum to get through the first couple weeks. I had a mountain of them next to me, along with my tea, crochet, and a coloring book.

 

You are rocking this quit! Good for you. 

[Jen]

I can't really use the sugary stuff. I have low sugar problems already. I eat sugar, sugar goes high, sugar plummets, I pass out. Awful combination. That also causes the jitters and shakes for me. I've been carrying around an ice cold water bottle for the past couple days. Glad your doing well staying away from the microtabs!! I should have changed my patch a couple hours ago but I haven't. I'm just going to leave it till it itches too much to ignore lol Maybe it'll run out of nicotine and trick my brain at the same time.

 

I'm with ya on the and we aren't even nicotine free. A bit annoying. Feels like cheating although I know it really isn't I suppose.

[Oneistoo]

Hmmm.....I'm feeling a bit rudderless today. I'm a bit lethargic, too. Hmmm....

 

On the positive side, my skin is definitely cleaner when I wash it at night. :)

[Evelyn]

Keep going!

[Tink]

Hmmm.....I'm feeling a bit rudderless today. I'm a bit lethargic, too. Hmmm....

 

On the positive side, my skin is definitely cleaner when I wash it at night. :)

do you like herbal teas? can you go for a walk in the fresh air, not sure if anyone has mentioned about caffeine when first quit but it absorbs twice as strong and quick just something to keep an eye on especially if sleep patterns are messing you about.

 

oneis2 you are doing fantastic just look back and see how far you have come, the first 2 weeks are the hugest steps keep going through the fog x

[Oneistoo]

keep going through the fog x

 

Thanks, Tracey! I guess I needed a bit of encouragement. It's been raining hard outside all day, so there won't be any fresh-air walking today. Yes, I drink herbal teas, and love them. Since I'm kind of eating everything in sight, I'm using this as a way to clean out my pantry and freezer instead of buying new stuff, including teas. I'm drinking very little coffee, and I don't really miss it.

 

I'm watching Joel's excellent videos. He really is a great guy, very honest and genuine. He's a real gem in this quit process. 

[Tink]

Thanks, Tracey! I guess I needed a bit of encouragement. It's been raining hard outside all day, so there won't be any fresh-air walking today. Yes, I drink herbal teas, and love them. Since I'm kind of eating everything in sight, I'm using this as a way to clean out my pantry and freezer instead of buying new stuff, including teas. I'm drinking very little coffee, and I don't really miss it.

 

I'm watching Joel's excellent videos. He really is a great guy, very honest and genuine. He's a real gem in this quit process. 

although you may feel groggy, you are so doing better than you think, we are on the outside looking in and we see it :) when i first quit i was a live in carer so could not go outside when i needed to so i used to go on youtube to listen to hypnosis videos just for relaxing and fitness videos so i could jump like a loon indoors for a quick pick me up they have stuff for all tastes and styles.

 

i drank lots of water and green tea to help flush out the toxins which make you feel groggy on their way out but afterwards its a fresh new you :)

 

weird how we have to feel crap before we feel better but it is the body healing itself, which is a marvelous thing.

 

yes joel hits all the nails on the head and makes things simple, glad you are watching them the more education the more armour you have x

[sharonsiff]

Hmmm.....I'm feeling a bit rudderless today. I'm a bit lethargic, too. Hmmm....

 

On the positive side, my skin is definitely cleaner when I wash it at night. :)

Have seen Tracey has given you fabulous advise and hope you are feeling ok.

 

The skin though! Isn't it amazing how quickly the skin recovers and starts to look fabulous? That's one of the first things I noticed a couple of weeks in after my improved sense of smell, taste and that my morning clearing of throat cough had gone.

 

I have no doubt you'll notice a difference in the texture of you hair soon, my hairdresser could tell I'd stopped smoking as my hair hair felt less brittle and dry.

 

So many benefits......

[Kristin]

do you like herbal teas? can you go for a walk in the fresh air, not sure if anyone has mentioned about caffeine when first quit but it absorbs twice as strong and quick just something to keep an eye on especially if sleep patterns are messing you about.

 

oneis2 you are doing fantastic just look back and see how far you have come, the first 2 weeks are the hugest steps keep going through the fog x

Im just recently learning this, I stepped off my patches 14 days ago and it took me awhile to realize what was happening. I thought someone had put crack in my morning coffee. 

[Still winning]

Watch out for that caffeine guys, crack isn't a bad description lol.

 

Oneistoo, I am so proud of how you're tracking. Sorry saying patches instead of lozenges...both you and jen, not smoking is HUGE ...all roads lead to rome with the right mentality, there isn't a right or wrong other than don't smoke!

 

Amazing quits to watch :) 

 

x

[El Bandito]

Keep on keeping on. You are doing great!

[Nancy]

I'm loving reading this - such a beautiful approach to quitting and so happy you are sharing it with Jen :-). Keep this up and before you know it you guys will have clocked up thousands of cigs not smoked as well! Proud of you both xx

Just like us!!

 

Well done to both of you!!

[Pippa]

You guys are doing so well - like the others I drank heaps of water and herbal teas and I also established licorice as an additional food group - that and exercise and posting and reading here were my saviours ! Oh and knowing I had buddies all over the world who understood what I was going through and who I didn't want to let down was huge too :-)

 

You guys are right where you need to be - so proud xx

[Devil Doll]

You guys are doing an amazing job! I love that you are tracking your journey Oneistoo. This tracking becomes a wealth of information for newbies who follow in your footsteps. 

[Oneistoo]

I came very close to smoking today. I had to do something that made me feel anxious, and that's usually when I cave and go buy a pack of cigarettes when I'm quit (I've probably done that a hundred times, if not more, over the years).

 

I had listened to a lot of Joel videos yesterday, and he talks about how one puff would start the withdrawal crap all over again. I thought about the fact that I've gone from 30-40 cigarettes a day lately to none, and that I've only had two micro-tabs in the past 72 hours and none in the past 24 hours. 

 

What he said about the stressor still being there even though you smoked also resonated with me. It seemed a really BAD INVESTMENT for me to smoke, if 1) I sabotage my quit to date, and 2) it won't change the stressor anyway, me smoking is not going to alter anything, 3) I'm going to feel like shit afterward, physically and psychologically.

 

I started listening to some more Joel videos until I felt a bit more secure. And then I slowly did the anxiety-provoking stuff I had to do. And now it's done! And it didn't bite me! I didn't HAVE TO smoke in order to make it through. 

 

I can see from this experience that it would be really good if I can start practice handling anxiety producing stuff as a non-smoker. I mean, to see it as important non-smoking training instead of just stuff that has to be done. 

 

I am feeling very solemn now. 

[sharonsiff]

Great blog today, as ever... And I love when you said

 

To see it as important non-smoking training instead of just stuff that has to be done.

 

I know exactly what you mean, always the positive, and can see how that thought process can turn things around.

 

Will look forward to tomorrow's blog ;)

[laura]

Oneistoo well done for diverting your mind, I have been a bit deflated today and have thought about smoking, as I have been at work not managed to read or watch any videos but I just kept repeating nope nope nope.

[sharonsiff]

Oneistoo well done for diverting your mind, I have been a bit deflated today and have thought about smoking, as I have been at work not managed to read or watch any videos but I just kept repeating nope nope nope.

Don't be deflated Laura, it's perfectly normal and to be expected that your mind will flood you with thoughts of smoking. Accept that and as long as you take the right action (NOPE, distracting yourself) then you are a champion!

 

With time and patience the thoughts become less and less... Then zero ;)

[Chrysalis]

Oh, Oneistoo, I can see you growing such a strong, healthy quit right in front of my eyes! You're doing smashingly (is that a word?). You recognized that you were facing a trigger situation, you sought out some support and reinforcement via Joel's videos. Then you went ahead and completed the task without smoking AND you recognized that from now on you do NOT have to smoke to face that task. That's perfect! Give yourself a big pat on the back!