Smoker No More

34 Weeks into my quit - still going strong

2008-07-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well, 34 weeks into my quit, I'm still smoke-free. I still have some cravings, but I don't need to smoke.

Some things I've noticed:

1. I am nostalgic about smoking. I have to be careful not to fixate on that one good cigarette, or I could go right back into smoking.

2. Everyone's quit is different. When you quit smoking, you're finally so happy that you want everyone else to quit too. I have to try not to get "preachy" to my smoker friends.

3. I am so glad that I smell better. This is one of the best benefits, other than being able to work out.

4. I did gain some weight when I quit smoking. It changed my metabolism, and I started craving sweets. At 6 months in, I had to seriously start watching what I eat, and finally the pounds have started coming off.

5. I am so glad that I quit smoking. It gets easier and easier as time goes by. I just have to be vigilant and watch for the signs that my defense is weakening. Sometimes your brain will try to trick you into thinking that it's ok to "celebrate" with a smoke.

17 Weeks Later

2008-04-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Well it has officially been 17 weeks since I have had any nicotine. The cravings have diminished significantly. I barely ever even think of having a cigarette. I am a non-smoker. I can go all day without thinking of cigarettes.

My partner Sean also gave up cigarettes. Last week we found out he won a trip to the Marlboro Ranch. This should be fun!

Many Days - Still going strong

2008-01-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update since I will post more later. I am still cigarette free, but I dropped the Chantix last week. I didn't want to get the refill for the second month, so I guess I'm going it without meds now. I think I'll do fine.

You have to watch this video

2007-12-10T13:18:00.001-08:00

Still Smoking? Watch This !! - video powered by Metacafe

Days 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 - Moving along

2007-12-10T12:46:00.001-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. No, I didn't slide back into smoking cigarettes. Actually, I've been doing quite well, having not taken a single puff of a cigarette in over 6 days. The Chantix is working since it really hasn't been all that difficult. At times I will experience a craving or urge to smoke, but that usually passes within a couple of minutes.

I think I have between 6 and 10 small cravings per day, but they also seem to be diminishing in quantity and strength. All of the side effects from the Chantix went away after I had stopped smoking for a few days. I don't know if it works for everyone like this or not, but I'm pretty thankful.

I've noticed a heightened sense of smell since quitting smoking, and this morning I had a wonderful experience I'd like to share. For the first time since I was a kid, I smelled that wonderful dew ridden morning smell. It immediately reminded me of my childhood and for some reason the way water smelled then coming from the outside water spigot (iron). I loved it. It's amazing how that one thing made it all worth it for me. Besides all the health benefits, and savings, I guess getting back that one childhood memory and getting to experience it again made all of this worthwhile.

Day 10 - Pet Peeves

2007-12-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

I'm still on the Chantix - side effects have slightened. I did oversleep this morning, so I want to make a note of it as a possible side effect, but that has happened in the past when I was not on Chantix. I've felt giddy today, but I think it's mostly anxiety from not having cigarettes.

So anyway, I wanted to go over one of my biggest pet peeves. Grammar, well actually the improper use of grammar is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. So we're just going to go over a few of my biggest complaints.

1. Looser - Many people mistakenly use this meaning "loser" - someone who loses. You lose something, you do not "loose" it. Loose is the antonym of "tight" or something a sexually promiscuous woman might be.
2. Your and you're - This one is very simple. If "you are" makes sense in place of the word you're thinking of, then it will be "you're" which is the contraction of "you are". Your is always possessive, as in referring to something you own (i.e. your keys, your house, your car, your life)
3. Their, there, and they're - This one is a bit more complicated. "They're" is still the contraction meaning "they are". "Their" is possessive and indicates something belonging to "them". "There" indicates a place, as in over "there"; or it is used as a pronoun to start a sentence as in "There" is no other way. There are several other correct uses for "there", but always assume that is the word you are looking for is not possessive or not a contraction, then it is probably "there".

Alright, I feel much better after complaining about bad grammar online. I hope you do too.

This is Nancy - she has smoked for 40 years

2007-12-04T14:06:00.000-08:00

Day 9 - No Cigarettes for me please

2007-12-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

So today was officially my first day without cigarettes. I feel ok. I have been having regular - I should have a cigarette now thoughts, but I'm working through them. I go outside when my friends smoke, but I don't join them. I also went by the grocery store and got some carrots to snack on and some grapes. I've been craving food a lot and drink a lot of liquids. I did cut my caffeine back as I'm supposed to.

As far as the Chantix goes, the nausea is gone. I did have an upset stomach earlier today, but I feel better there as well. I think my body just needed some time to get used to the higher dosage. I can definitely see where Chantix helps with the urge to smoke, as I don't think I could have made it this far without it.

I'm going to post some encouraging pictures on here a little later. That way I can know what it is I'm looking forward to and what I'm leaving behind.

Day 8 - Sick

2007-12-04T08:52:00.000-08:00

So Day 8 after I got home from work, I felt sick and nauseous. I vomited and felt better. I cooked a bland bland dinner (not enough sauce for the pasta) and decided that tomorrow is my quit day. I'm ready to move forward with my quit and I think I have the willpower to succeed now.

Days 6 & 7 - Sleepy

2007-12-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

Days 6 & 7 were over the weekend. I didn't notice too many side effects, just some on and off nausea and sleeping more than usual. The dreams did start on Saturday night. They weren't what I would call especially vivid, just more abundant. Usually I will have I think 2 dreams a night. I had at least 4 or 5 dreams per night the last two nights. I also would wake up more often on Saturday night.

Overall it isn't so bad. I'm noticing a decreased desire to smoke, but I still smoke some.

Day 5 - Smoking less

2007-11-30T18:34:00.000-08:00

Well today I officially smoked about 2/3 the amount of cigarettes I usually do, so that is saying something. I was pretty tired when I got home, so I took a 2 hour nap. I did dream, but it wasn't what I would call especially "vivid" - just a normal dream.

My quit day is Monday, where I will officially no longer be a smoker. I can't wait.

Day 4 - Feeling Sluggish

2007-11-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

I took my 0.5 mg pills twice today. I have noticed that I don't get the nicotine buzz after smoking now. When I smoke, it's more like a mechanical function rather than pleasurable. I also feel drained. I don't know if this is because of the Chantix, or because it's Thursday and Thursdays drain me. My cigarette consumption has decreased, mostly from a lack of desire to smoke.

My attitude has been kind of grumpy as well. I didn't think that it would come this early, since I haven't even given up the nicotine yet, so I hope it doesn't get any worse.

I'm going to try to relax tonight and unwind from a stressful day and maybe things will improve on the attitude front.

Day 3 - A slight headache

2007-11-28T12:04:00.000-08:00

I took my daily dose of Chantix with my wholesome breakfast this morning (a breakfast burrito from McDonald's). I took 2 ibuprofen an hour ago (it's 3pm now) because I had a slight headache. No other side effects yet, but I also haven't cut down on my cigarette consumption. Maybe tomorrow when I go up to the double dose it will start to have an effect. I also haven't had any of the vivid dreams that everyone seems to get. I actually hope the rest of my time on Chantix has as few side effects as I currently have.

I'm thinking that this blog experience will also help me stick to my guns and not smoke. I really hate failure, and I think a public failure, albeit an anonymous one, would not go over well at all.

Day 2 - A little backstory

2007-11-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

OK, so Day 2 taking my 0.5 mg Chantix. I don't think I'm feeling anything from the Chantix yet. I have started increasing my intake of liquids since I started reading to do so on other sites. Work is going so slowly today. I can't wait to leave. I'm still smoking as usual, but I'm looking forward to when I don't need to smoke at all.

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I want to share some of the back story to my nicotine addiction and previous quit attempts.

I started smoking when I was 18. I was away at college, and my roommates introduced me to camel lights. It started out as just a cigarette at night before bed and sometimes after eating. A few months later, I went on a road trip to Washington, DC and I specifically remember this as the point where I became addicted. Smoking on road trips breaks up the monotany of the drive and just gives you something to do.

In the years following, there was a lot of drinking and partying and going to bars, and smoking was just a part of that. I didn't seriously try to give up smoking until I was 22. I moved across the country to Colorado, and I started taking Zyban (Wellbutrin). Things went well with the Zyban, but I became concerned with the decreased weight. This was at a time when I didn't need to lose weight at all, and if I lost any more I would look unhealthy. My quit that time lasted 50 days.

I moved back to Atlanta, and subsequently met my soon to be life partner. He smokes, so it just became something that we both did. Smoking is a ritual with us. Since I don't and have never smoked in my house, we both will take smoke breaks together at home on the back deck. It's a routine that we have that 4 or 5 times in the evening during a commercial, or when we take the dogs out that we light up. This is going to be a very hard temptation to avoid.

This is my second attempt to quit, and hopefully my last. I want very badly to give up smoking for all the standard reasons. I want to live longer and be healthier. I want to be able to not fear my breath or the smoke stench on my clothes. I want my car to not smell like an ashtray. I want my family to stop pressuring me to quit. I want to save the $150 a month we spend on cigarettes. I want to be able to fly without worrying about not being able to smoke. I want to be smoke free.

With determination, I think I can do it. I'm not sure if Chantix works, but I'm going to stick with it and get off cigarettes.

Day 1 - Starting Chantix

2007-11-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

OK, so it's day 1 of my adventure to cease my smoking habit. I started taking my 0.5 milligram Chantix prescription after lunch today. I am ready to quit smoking, a habit I've had for nearly ten years at 1 pack a day. I've read some good things about Chantix, and I hope it works for me. It's not supposed to really "kick in" for a few more days, so we'll just wait and see.