Just wanted to say hi

[Jryan19982]

I was very active on the other quitting board before it shut down for whatever reason and I was so far along in my quit I just didn't take up to posting on this one much. But I felt today I should drop in and read. Today is just one of those down days that I get scared of the thought of what if I didn't quit early enough? I quit at the age of 33 and while statistics say I should be in good shape regarding living a normal life because I quit this young, a time comes when you still wonder. And still think about the worse case. I have a family and I quit for them. I want to see the smiles on my kids faces for years to come and enjoy time with them and God willing their kids as well.

 

So at times like these I read posts, welcome newcomers, give encouragement, or just lurk. What I can tell you is this: Once you quit and pass that first few weeks or months or two months, whatever time it takes to get over that initial hump, it is so worth it. Imagine pushing a snowball up a hill. At first it is small but it quickly becomes bigger and harder to push. But up the hill you push until that day comes you reach the top. You give one final push to that once small snowball that is now 10 times the size of your head and you watch it roll down the other side of the hill. But your work is not done. You still have to walk after that snowball however the difference now is momentum is taking care of the pushing. Just know that if you go back to smoking you now have to push that very same snowball up the hill but this time it's harder. The first time I quit easy stuff and that made me smoke again thinking this is no big deal. The second time was harder and then finally the third time it was the most difficult of all. I knew I couldn't go back or I might have reached that point of no return.

 

But we all know there is no point of no return. It is still worth it to quit no matter how young or old you are, how little or how much you smoke, or whatever health you are currently in. Quit now and reap the rewards of quitting. Be grateful and be happy you quit. Now I need to take to mind what I just said and stop the worrying. Luckily this does not happen very often. Anyways thanks for reading.

[PeaceTrain]

Thanks for sharing that, Jryan and you're right... with all we know about the dangers of smoking, all the devastation and death it has caused, it's downright crazy to smoke.  But that's the thing about addiction. It defies logic and good sense.  I've had thoughts like you're having now and when I do, I have to pull myself back to the gratitude that I've been able to quit and even if something does happen now, at least I'm not in the grip of that beast anymore.  

[Reciprocity]

Hey welcome to our family Jryan :) You have certainly got a very respectable quit going there. I get what you are saying about wanting to see your children grow and their children too. It's great that this thought was likely a big part of the reason you quit - we all need one very special motivator, right?

 

The great news for you is that you quit while you are still pretty young. A lot younger than many of us anyway. There's never any "sure thing" when it comes to our lives but you at least took action early on to give yourself the best chance possible to realize your dreams so, be proud of that and treat yourself well from here on. That's the best and the only thing you can do for yourself now. You have a lot to be happy and proud about :)

[Jryan19982]

Thank you both for your kind words. This is a very important thing to do. You are both doing great in your quits. Keep up the had work.

[johnny5]

Nice to hear from you, Jryan.  I remember you from the other site and I always liked how you put things into perspective.

I quit at age 39 and I share a lot of your fears about not stopping soon enough but we can't change the past.  Quitting smoking and staying quit is the best thing a smoker can do for themselves and their loved ones.

Glad you are doing well and thanks for the great post.

[Jryan19982]

Nice to hear from you, Jryan.  I remember you from the other site and I always liked how you put things into perspective.

I quit at age 39 and I share a lot of your fears about not stopping soon enough but we can't change the past.  Quitting smoking and staying quit is the best thing a smoker can do for themselves and their loved ones.

Glad you are doing well and thanks for the great post.

Yup I'm a visual learner and I remember your picture! Glad to see you are still rocking your quit. Hope all is well with you.

[NADA]

Hey Jryan. Good to see you.  There's no changing the past with regrets and worries.  Focus on the wonderful new legacy of health and commitment that you're giving your kids.  Best to you and your family.

[PixelSketch]

Hi Jryan! You can't change the past, but you've taken control of your future and that's the best thing to focus on! :)

 

I quit at 43, after around 20 years of smoking, in the later years, about a pack a day or so. Sometimes less, sometimes more. I can't do anything about that. But from the moment I quit I started to make better choices about taking care of my health. I workout, I eat healthy, I keep my doctor's appointments. There isn't much more I can do beyond that, other than to enjoy life. Work hard, play hard, you know? 

 

I think while we are smoking, the addiction works very hard to help us push away the realities of what we are truly doing to ourselves, in order to keep us hooked. When we quit, that's when we start to really see the reality of what cigarettes do. I've had several freakouts over that once I stopped smoking. Some days every freckle was cancer and and every sniffle meant the end. I think it's a normal part of your brain coming back to normal and rewiring itself after all the years of being controlled by the nicotine.

 

I remember not too long after I quit, I had an appointment to the dentist. No big deal, just a routine thing. I go regularly, so I had seen him just a few short months earlier. But all of a sudden, I was obsessed with thinking that I had oral cancer and any bump or mark was a tumour. I spent days and days before the appointment staring at my tongue in the mirror. Just freaking out. Finally the day of the appointment came. I was pretty sure I was about to be handed a death sentence. I never had a problem going to the dentist before. My dentist rocks! But this time, for the first time, I was scared to go to the dentist.  The check up went just fine. All those days of worry for nothing. 

 

I had a few months of that kind of thinking on and off and then it started to fade. I think it's normal. I always remind myself that the body also has an amazing capacity to repair itself, if we give it what it needs. Just take good care of you, and put your focus on living a good, happy life. And even if something comes up that you have to deal with, health-wise, down the road, you and your body will be much stronger and better able to deal with it as a non-smoker.

[Doreensfree]

How did I miss this.?????

Just wanted to say hi and welcome....

Smoking takes away our fears..the addiction makes us bury our heads in the sand...

It's not until we quit ..your health becomes your first priority...

Glad you found us ...