# DAY TWO! (INSPIRATION PLEASE!!!!)



## RAdams (May 21, 2010)

Well i have decided to quit smoking. Today will be day two with no cigarettes. I have quit a couple of times before, but always ended up smoking again. Once i quit for over 4 months, and one little cigarette at a 9-ball tourney ended that. 


Anyway, I could use some inspiring words, or stories of people that have quit... I have smoked since i was 12 years old and I am one month away from 35 so it is past time to stop, but it is incredibly difficult. almost every thought is about a smoke. Even when i stay busy, i think about a cigarette. 

This is the first time i have quit cold turkey, and never realized how much the treatments help!


----------



## witz1976 (May 21, 2010)

Wow Ron first off congradulations on giving it another try.  While I have never started to give you advice on how to quit, both my parents have.  Took 3 times for my step dad, and Mom...well lets just say she is in denial.  They both tried the patch & gum.  Finally my step dad woke up one day and said he is done.  Don't ask me how he quit other than his will.  As for my mom, she has tried everything but she keeps saying she doesn't want to quit.  

So I think that will be your biggest barrier.  If you really want to quit in your heart you will have an easier time and will do it.  BTW my step dad was an alcoholic and quit the same way.  He is 15 years clean on booze and about 7 on cigs.  

Good luck and don't give up!!


----------



## darrin1200 (May 21, 2010)

Congrats Ron

I am smoke free for 2 months now. So far I have had very little difficulty with cravings. What I find mostly is that I get into a situation that I would normally kill to have a smoke. 
My worst is planning and thinking. Anytime I used to stress my brain, it was always accompanied by a smoke. Its sounds corny, but this is exactly what I do.

I say to myself " God I really want a smoke".
Then I say " But you know, I don't smoke anymore"
Then I move somewhere else for a few minutes (another room, outside the shop, etc)

I find it passes in just a few seconds, then I go on about my day. The key is to get past those few seconds everytime.

Good Luck
Darrin


----------



## snowman56 (May 21, 2010)

Good luck stay strong,if that don't work.Rubber Room


----------



## FatPat (May 21, 2010)

Hi Ron:
I smoked for 35 years and never really beleived I could quit. It has been 6 years now smoke free. Cigarette smoke smells like horses>>t  to me now . Just tell yourself when you get a craving that it will pass in a few minutes , wait it out. Both my mother and sister passed away from smoking related cancers .
Loly pops are good to have around when the craving hits.Sugerless gum is my craving of choice now. Don't give in, not even a puff or your done for.

Hope this helps
Pat


----------



## SDB777 (May 21, 2010)

Ron...I am the last to give advise about smoking.  I've quit at least five times and I'm back at it again.  I hope you have a strong mind and the will to do it!



Scott (stay strong dude) B


----------



## rtrimyer (May 21, 2010)

The only thing I can say is think of all of the resin, pen kits, and other cool shop stuff you can buy with all of the money you are not spending on smoking....!  I see the prices in the stores, I do not know how many packs a day you used to smoke, but with their prices being around $5 a pack it can add up quickly.  I would say that you place a jar in your shop and every time you would have bought cigaretts you put the money in the jar.  at the end of each month buy some thing for your shop.


----------



## Pepsi (May 21, 2010)

Ron,  You can do it. I made up my mind to quit and I did. I smoked for 30 years,if you need help go to your family Dr. and have him write tou a script for the patch. This is what I did and it works, but you have to have the will and want to to quit or nothing 
will work. The patch that I used was called Pro-Step. For several yrs. before quitting
I was going through 4 packs a day. I have been smoke free since April 7 1996 and have no desire at all to start smoking again. BEST THING I EVER DONE. Wish you the best my friend.
                                                                                                    Al


----------



## ROOKIETURNER (May 21, 2010)

Ron,

I hate to break it to you, but you only quit once. You just stopped smoking for a brief period. We used to call it temporary lulls in our smoking careers.

I quit over 13 years ago, after smoking almost 2 packs a day. The one and only thing that got me through it was the thought that I could loose every other battle that day. The world could really let me have it, but I was not going to give in to smoking. I would go to sleep every night with that victory under my belt, and no one nor nothing was going to take it away.

I have not a cigarette since. 13+ years later and I still have vivid dreams about having one. I have even woke up and apologized to my wife for smoking. She would look at like I was crazy and say, "You didn't smoke last night, you were at home with me." Oops!

Hang in there. Remember, don't let it control you!

Rob


----------



## RAdams (May 21, 2010)

Thank you everyone! I know i can do it, and i will succeed! I am sick of the expense, and lack of stamina, and the smell, and all that goes with smoking. 


Rob, Thank you for sharing! I like that mentality! I think that is how i am going to look at it. No matter what happens today, As long as i dont smoke, it is a success!!!


----------



## PaulDoug (May 21, 2010)

Will I was a lucky guy, after smoking 20+ years I decided one day I was tired of it and quite.  At  that  particular time in my life it was easy.  I had tried many time before.  That was over 15 years ago.  

You can do it.  It is like drinking, you can't just have one.  Don't even go there.


----------



## glycerine (May 21, 2010)

Congrats on quitting Ron.  I have a brother and brother-in-law who have both quit, or at least one is still trying to.
Another thing that you should really think about is cancer.  I know that you have seen the effects of cancer and I just lost my mom to it.  No, her's was not because of smoking, but if smoking truly increases your risk of getting lung cancer, then you should do everything in your power not to ever put a cigarette to your lips again.
You can do it, and not only do you need encouragement, you also need DIScouragement.  So make sure everyone around you knows that you WANT to quit and discourages you from ever smoking again.  Make sure they help you.  My brother-in-law always tells me that it's something to do that keeps him busy and from getting bored (he's in the Navy and smoked mostly when he was out to sea for months at a time).  Maybe that's the way it is for some people.  If it's that way for you, then find something else to do.  Go read a book, watch tv, turn some stuff, play football, basketball, etc.  Get involved in some local groups or clubs to keep you busy.
DON'T GIVE UP ON QUITTING!!!!!!


----------



## gketell (May 21, 2010)

Find a hypno therapist in your area that specializes in smoking cessation.  Quitting isn't just about the smoking, it is also about all the little hand movements and the patterns of life around the smoking.  Having pro help getting you to no longer have those associations is a BIG help.

Good luck to you.  I know it is horrendously hard from watching my mom try to quit for decades.  She finally did when she got the right incentive: she wasn't allowed around the grand kids if she was smoking.  She decided seeing the kids and being around for them to grow up with her was important enough that she was able to quit.  You will be able to too.


----------



## cajun skeeter (May 21, 2010)

Get  some little blue "happy" pills. it will help with the road rage.

Larry Pickering

Some times my mind wanders, and some times it completely leaves me.


----------



## Craftdiggity (May 21, 2010)

Ron,

I hope you are successful.  I quit for the first time in March, 2001.  I went nine whole months without a single puff, and then, on Christmas eve night, I met my wife-to-be, and she smoked.  I was hammered when she decided to go outside for a smoke and I went with her.  Someone called her back into the house, and she handed me the half-smoked cig and said she'd be right back.  Without even thinking abouot it, I smoked the rest of it, and went inside.  The next morning I woke up with a fierce hangover and a pack of my old brand of smokes in my pocket.  I had smoked four of them.  I threw the pack away and went another six months.  For whatever reason I felt like a smoke, and bought a pack.  Two weeks later, I quit again.  This went on for a year or two.  Mostly not smoking, but then a week or two long binge.

In March of 2004, three years after I originally quit, we moved to Florida.  I went down first, to start my job, and close on our house.  My wife waited in NJ with our 1 year old daughter until I finalized the home purchase.  I didn't want the family living in a hotel room.  I quickly got lonely and stressed over the new job, buying a home, and especially not being ale to hold my little girl.  I smoked for the better part of six weeks until the family came down.  That was my last smoke.  The day before they arrived, I finished the pack, and haven't smoked since.  That was six years ago, and I hardly even think about it now.

You just need to get through the first couple of months.  Your brain tries to make deals with you to get you to smoke, and you have to be strong enough to reject every thought of smoking.

Chris


----------



## Jgrden (May 21, 2010)

Craftdiggity said:


> Ron,
> 
> I hope you are successful.  I quit for the first time in March, 2001.  I went nine whole months without a single puff, and then, on Christmas eve night, I met my wife-to-be, and she smoked.  I was hammered when she decided to go outside for a smoke and I went with her.  Someone called her back into the house, and she handed me the half-smoked cig and said she'd be right back.  Without even thinking abouot it, I smoked the rest of it, and went inside.  The next morning I woke up with a fierce hangover and a pack of my old brand of smokes in my pocket.  I had smoked four of them.  I threw the pack away and went another six months.  For whatever reason I felt like a smoke, and bought a pack.  Two weeks later, I quit again.  This went on for a year or two.  Mostly not smoking, but then a week or two long binge.
> 
> ...


Good for you. You took the long hard way. It took allot of courage, congratulations.
I quit cold turkey but it was not easy. Wife kicked me out of the house one night for being obnoxious. The yearning for a smoke kept at me for years but each day made it easier to not think about it too long.  
I do still enjoy cigar smoke or pipe smoke but only second hand (YUK). 
So I am impressed with your story and to all else, it takes courage and strength and commitment.


----------



## Jgrden (May 21, 2010)

PaulDoug said:


> Will I was a lucky guy, after smoking 20+ years I decided one day I was tired of it and quite.  At  that  particular time in my life it was easy.  I had tried many time before.  That was over 15 years ago.
> 
> You can do it.  It is like drinking, you can't just have one.  Don't even go there.


Like you, I quit twenty or thirty years ago, but I still like my wine. Now days it is a glass a week. And I like a shot (single) of Wild Turkey in the afternoon.


----------



## skiprat (May 21, 2010)

I wish you luck Ron. I've tried and failed loads of times:frown:

My mind keeps telling me that smoke can't be that bad for you if they use it to 'cure' bacon and salmon
And as humans aren't a million miles away from being pork meat, then I'm gonna live forever:tongue:


----------



## Phunky_2003 (May 21, 2010)

I quit smoking on Dec 13 2009.  I had a heart attack at the age of 38.  I have had a few puffs since, but it does make a difference of how I feel.  I get sick from it now.  I have had maybe 2 smokes since then.  Both were the day my son wrecked his truck and he had some broken bones but otherwise ok.  

I believe anybody has it in them to quit cold turkey same way you are.  They gave me the patches at the hospital but I've had nothing since.  My wife quit while I was in the hospital the 2nd time for a bypass.  She used the first stage of patches.  It would be better to get help from something instead of smoking again, whether its patches, gum or hypnosis.  I wish you all the luck.  You will notice in a few days how much better your food taste and how much you smell.


----------



## randyrls (May 21, 2010)

Ron;  Keep at it.  Take one day, hour, or minute at a time and ask if you can resist just for that day, hour, or minute?  YES YOU CAN!!!


If you can, join a support group to quit smoking.  If you are employed and have health care coverage, many health insurance policies will cover part or all of the cost of a stop smoking plan.

_Added Later; Even if you give IN ONE TIME, DON'T GIVE UP. After all you didn't give up pen turning the first time you messed up a pen; did you?_


This is a quote from my "Rant" web page:
Some people ask if              I smoke.  My answer is: "My father died of lung cancer.               One of my last memories of my father is carrying him 20 feet              from the bedroom to the bathroom.  He couldn't walk that far.               It was easy to carry him though.  He only weighed about              80 lbs."  
*I DO NOT SMOKE!  Smoking is a way to              spend lots of money on a disgusting addiction so you can die at an              early age in horrible agony!*


Also:
Phillip Morris commissioned a study to determine              if there are any positive economic benefits from smoking.  They              determined that smokers die younger and therefore don't collect pension              benefits or Social Security.  (This is NOT an urban legend,              I have a copy of the newspaper article!)   They have also              changed their name as they don't want to be associated with the              pain and suffering resulting from smoking.

This is my web page where I rant!
http://www.coleman-family.org/rant.htm


----------



## snyiper (May 21, 2010)

Well Ron I am a reformed smoker ( they are the worst) My story is a little different. I had attempted to quit several times and the longest stint was 3 years but alas I caved in. Keep in mind doing construction 2 packs a day was the norm. On day I got what I thought was the flu turned out to be my appendix well emergency surgery ensued so there I am out of the OR and wondering why I have a 11 in staple line!!!!! Well the thought it may have ruptured and had to do some checking. Now that being said I had a terrible deep cough that was pure agony it was so bad I had to hold a pillow over the incision when coughing. Seems this is normal with smokers and anestesia well I made a deal with God, if he would get me through this I would not smoke again...yea right. I got home and went to light that first one and said I made a deal I sure would hate for the man to collect so I tossed it and never looked back. I used fireballs to offset the craving for something to have never missed the Nicotine. I guess it was divine intervention 23+ years ago!!!!! You can do it you just need to want to!!! Good luck my friend I do wish you the strength to get through it....


----------



## tbroye (May 21, 2010)

I have been smoke free for almost 10 years after smoking for 45 years. Use the money you save on some tools or something you like. Between LOML and myself we saved enough money each month to make the car payment on her new car. It is not easy buy you can do it, one hour, one day, one week. I carried a box or rasins and a roll of lifesavers in my shirt pocket and when I wanted a smoke I reached in and got a lifesaver(shape of the lighter) or some rasins (box shape of box of cigs) finially got tired of rasins and lifesavers and and the habit was broken. Not to say I don't want one now and then but it passes quickly. Good luck you can do it.  And besides the State of California doesn't get any Cig. Tax money from me.


----------



## pentex (May 21, 2010)

I quit smoking 20 months ago after somking at least 2 packs a day for over 50 years. I used Chantix to help me quit and it really helped. I have allready saved about $6000.00 dollars, which is nice. Also I don't smell like a ashtray any more. I still have some tough days, but it is getting easier. Hang in there and you will be glad you are doing this.


----------



## workinforwood (May 21, 2010)

RAdams said:


> Thank you everyone! I know i can do it, and i will succeed! I am sick of the expense, and lack of stamina, and the smell, and all that goes with smoking.



Well...I'm a smoker Ron and I'm not stopping today.  I wish you the best of luck, but just in case...keep in mind that smokes are cheaper if you buy them from Kentucky, you can train children to feed you popcorn while you watch TV, and you can ...er maybe not you, but I can get in the shower with some shampoo and smell good again! :biggrin:

PS...According to my doctor, I am the only person he ever met that continued to smoke during chemotherapy treatments and at the same time won the battle! I really wanted a smoke..heck, I better go step outside right now and celebrate.


----------



## Rfturner (May 21, 2010)

Good luck I am not a smoker myself but I know that kicking bad habits is hard to do. Juist keep fighting through it


----------



## Frank Nemke sr (May 21, 2010)

I quit for the last time 23 yrs ago   It was my 3 attempt   I want through alot of serts, tictacs, and so forth.  Now I'm hooked on toothpicks.  I carry a toothpick holder in my pocket.  It  takes the place of a cig.  Its also a good source of fiber. LOL
   I was a 4 pack a day man.  If I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom,I lit a cig before I stood up, and has a 2nd before I went back to bed.  The last two times I tried to quit,it was cold turkey.  YOU CAN DO IT  I did.


----------



## bitshird (May 21, 2010)

Dude I quit doing a lot of things, most of them were either illegal, or just not good, but the biggest triumph of my life was giving up Cigarettes. I smoked the vile things for almost 30 years, and had quit once for almost a year, but you know that story. After being off them for about a year and a half I started having less colds, could run faster and further, I did put on some weight that has been a problem, but it's been about 17 years and I can't stand to even be around Cigarette smoke any more, other kinds of smoke like BB-Q and fire pits and a few other things don't bother me but you will live longer, feel better your children will feel better and enjoy better health, man it's like an old Willy Nelson and Merl Haggard tune Reasons to Quit. Good Luck Juggalo.


----------



## iowacobb (May 21, 2010)

Ron,  You can do it.  Stay strong.

I quit 15 years ago.  It is very tough, but doable. 

tim


----------



## TheRealSmith (May 21, 2010)

If you really want to quit 99% of the job is done just walk away and never look back. I smoked from ages 14-38 decided to quit and never went back. The first few months were the worst I gained weight and was a bit grumpy. but then it was gone and this July I will be 50 never touched or wanted a smoke in 12 years. It's all about willpower and commitment. But I can only speak for myself  good luck!


----------



## Glass Scratcher (May 21, 2010)

My grandfather died from lung cancer.  On his deathbed he told my father and uncle to stop smoking.  My father stopped smoking his pipe and my uncle quit smoking cigs.  Regretabley my uncles wife (my aunt) didn't heed the warning. 40yrs later she had a lung removed and chemo/radiation, then died after the cancer returned and spread from her other lung to her brain.  None of us kids have ever smoked.  It would have been beaten out of us if we did.

My brother in law quit smoking when my sister told him she was pregnant with their first child.  He never looked back.  Smoke free 15yrs now.

My old boss from before I when solo, used to smoke.  On one vacation he went cold turkey.  He said he did it through visualisation.  He visualised licking a dirty ashtray everytime he felt the urge.  He said it came from a comment that his wife, a non-smoker, had made about kissing him.  Smoke free 20+yrs now.

A close friend and workmate had a heart attack 7yrs ago.  His family found him on the kitchen floor a day or 2 after the initial event.  He went cold turkey in the hospital, hasn't looked back.  Regrets that he smoked for 40yrs.

Talk to your wife, talk to your friends, talk to the trees, just don't talk to the cigs, and don't listen to their siren song.  Remember before cigs the lizard brain in the back of every man's head said "Sex" every 15secs, not "Cigs"!  Reprogram it!


----------



## workinforwood (May 21, 2010)

A true American Patriot smokes, because without smoking the lack of government funding would cripple this nation. Think not just of all the taxes lost on cigarette sales, but what about all the farmers? What about the manufacturers of the cigarettes, the paper, the filters, the transportation and all the employees in those industries.  What's the corner store going to sell?  Liquor and toothpicks?  Last I saw, liquor doesn't stick between your teeth unless it was made by Ken Ferrell. :wink::biggrin:


Just clowning around of course guys. :tongue:


----------



## wudnhed (May 21, 2010)

I tell anyone who wants to quit smoking about my poor MIL.  She smoked for years upon years, FIL did too.  The last 4 or 5 years of her life, she spent on an oxygen tank and the last year or 2 she absolutely gasped for air just sitting in a chair.  It was so hard on her body and hard to see her like that.  It really pains me to see some elderly sitting in a wheelchair smoking and on oxygen.  If you really need a jolt look up the effects of smoking on the net or check out a book at library.  

I wish you the best of luck and hope you can stick to it.


----------



## AceMrFixIt (May 21, 2010)

Congrats on day two, I kept telling myself, thats 2 days, if I have one now I have to start counting all over...........it worked for me.


----------



## RAdams (May 21, 2010)

Thanks everyone! these are helping alot believe it or not!


----------



## Scott (May 21, 2010)

Ron!

We are all proud of you!

In a movie I saw once, a psychiatrist (played by Robin Williams) said:  "You are either a smoker, or you're not.  Figure out which you are, and be that!"  I smoked for a quite a while, the last ten years was off and on all the time.  Then one of those times came along where life demonstrates that there are lots of important reasons to be alive, and no good reasons to smoke another cig instead.  That's when I became a non-smoker, and since then, for about the last ten years, all I had to do was "be" that.

And don't for a minute believe that it will be easy.  There are still times I catch a whiff, and think it would be nice to have a smoke.  But there are never any good enough reasons to do so.

You can do it!  Just hang in there.

Scott.


----------



## Rick_G (May 21, 2010)

Stick to it Ron.  I started at age 12 and quit at 28, at the time I was smoking at least 25 export A every day.  I was in the Air Force at the time and had quit once before for 2 months.  2 weeks in Bermuda with the guys, fix aircraft during the day and drink and smoke at night, I was back to a pack a day by the time I came home.  When my son came along I figured it would be nice to be around to see him get married and besides it was a bad example for him.  Quit over a 4 day Easter weekend 33 years ago and haven't had one since.  It was probably 3 years before I stopped reaching to my shirt pocket for the pack when I was driving though.  

You can do it just keep at it.


----------



## Oldwagon (May 21, 2010)

Hey Ron,I smoked 2 1/2 packs a day.2 years ago last week I stopped.I had 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes.Gave the 1/2 pack away.Smoked the other pack in 11 days.That was very hard to do.I have not had one since.I eat more in the evening.Gained weight.I have lost 30 lbs now.So I know what you are going through.Hang in there.It does get better.I did not use any of the patches,gum or any of that.I kept telling myself that I can do this.Stay strong.I might even send you a present.Todd


----------



## louie68 (May 21, 2010)

*quit smoking*

You can do it !!! I smoke for 42 yrs and last Nov 10th my birthday I decided to quit smoking I took Chantnix pill for 8 weeks it work for me but my short term memory suck then, just change up what every your doing when you think about having a smoke just do something else and within minutes you will forget about the smokes and yes it gets easier as time goes OH yes I save over $1,500.00 since NOV 10th also I fell better I can breath better smell everything again. But now I fighting the overweigth and I will work i that next, just stick with it you can do it, CIGS ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND !!!!!!! tell yourself this when the grave comes on. Plus think of all the pen kits you can buy !!!!! Good Luck, Louie


----------



## OldGrumpy (May 21, 2010)

*Yes you can*

Well I have been smoke free for over 30 years now, after smoking 2 -3 packs a day for lots of years.  Still remember quitting.  Probably the hardest thing I have ever done.  My method was to set intermediate goals  (ie making it until after I have bkfst, making it until lunch, etc)  Did this for several weeks until I was able to say I could set a goal for an entire day.  Somehow it did not seem as impossible when I broke a day into segments.  Most important thing is YOU REALLY HAVE TO WANT TO QUIT SMOKING.  Prayer helps also!  Best of luck on this goal and I will pray for you also.


----------



## David Keller (May 21, 2010)

Good luck with your quest, Ron.  I would take whatever money you normally spend on smokes and put it in a large jar in plain site.  If you are a pack a day guy at 4 bucks a pack, then you put four dollars in the jar everyday(two packs per day=8 bucks).  After a month or two, take the money out of the jar and buy yourself something nice.  If you cheat, take the money out, pile it up, and BURN IT...  That's what you're doing with the money when you're buying the cigarettes.

What?  Need more motivation?  How about this?  If you quit for three months, I'll scrounge up a couple more fun blanks to send your way.


----------



## Manny (May 21, 2010)

I knocked my wife up to make her stop smoking. When she was through breast feeding and able to smoke again I knocked her up a second time. 

6 years later she is still on edge that I will do it again :-0


Moral of the story. 
Get knocked up.
Manny


----------



## Craftdiggity (May 21, 2010)

Manny said:


> I knocked my wife up to make her stop smoking. When she was through breast feeding and able to smoke again I knocked her up a second time.
> 
> 6 years later she is still on edge that I will do it again :-0
> 
> ...



I think my kids cost me more than cigarettes ever did, and I think that they'll be the death of me just as quick.


----------



## Jgrden (May 21, 2010)

When you think of smoking find something else to do that you enjoy, such as: reading, writing a letter, building a hot rod, etc.


----------



## RAdams (May 21, 2010)

David Keller said:


> Good luck with your quest, Ron. I would take whatever money you normally spend on smokes and put it in a large jar in plain site. If you are a pack a day guy at 4 bucks a pack, then you put four dollars in the jar everyday(two packs per day=8 bucks). After a month or two, take the money out of the jar and buy yourself something nice. If you cheat, take the money out, pile it up, and BURN IT... That's what you're doing with the money when you're buying the cigarettes.
> 
> What? Need more motivation? How about this? If you quit for three months, I'll scrounge up a couple more fun blanks to send your way.


 


yup... that will do it!


----------



## papaturner (May 21, 2010)

Smoked my last cigarette Dec.17,2003. I`m now driving my savings
Hang in there man you can do it too.


----------



## bitshird (May 22, 2010)

workinforwood said:


> A true American Patriot smokes, because without smoking the lack of government funding would cripple this nation. Think not just of all the taxes lost on cigarette sales, but what about all the farmers? What about the manufacturers of the cigarettes, the paper, the filters, the transportation and all the employees in those industries.  What's the corner store going to sell?  Liquor and toothpicks?  Last I saw, liquor doesn't stick between your teeth unless it was made by Ken Ferrell. :wink::biggrin:
> 
> 
> Just clowning around of course guys. :tongue:



Mr Powell, While I do not engage in the Manufacture of corn Liquor, I do have access to several styles, I do not remember any sticking to my teeth, but one did make hair sprout on my canines and front teeth, After all Old Buford Pusser,  hard as he tried wasn't quit able to destroy all the stills in McNairy county, we have some of the finest bottled spring water you'll ever drink, some running as high as 190 proof.


----------



## Mr Vic (May 22, 2010)

Ron...forget about how to keep from smoking...Used to buy a carton at the Commissary for $3.00 and only if I couldn't find the cartoon with the $1.00 off coupon. I'ld only buy one and come back a day or so later and check for coupons and then buy my four carton max. I was up to four packs off and on. All quiting did was change brands. I finally said enough...quit and haven't had one in (crap can't remember that far back) six or eight years. Any way with the price now at $20 - $30  bucks a carton, I figure I'm saving close to $200 a month - - - that's a lot of pen stuff. Thre packs = 1 Creative Demensions or one of jeffs blanmks from Exotics!

Oh..start some extra excercise NOW! I went from 195 to 235 and I'm now pushing 250 and have ridden the roller coster since quiting...might also be the blood pressure and cholesterol meds that don't help....

It's all in the bean...Good luck and looking forward to seeing all the cool stuff you can create with the extra cash....

Forgot to mentio0n... Uncle Sam used to issue me a pack of three cigs with every C-Ration....


----------



## RAdams (May 22, 2010)

we;; the weight gain part would be a welcome side effect. I am 6 feet tall, The most i have ever weighed is 152. The least i have ever weighed would be right around 130. 

Right now i am around 135- 137.


----------



## Mr Vic (May 22, 2010)

I'll send you some of mine....Kidding...Go for it Ron!


----------



## seawolf (May 22, 2010)

Congrats. Hang in there. At 30.00 a carton for the cheap smokes that’s the price of a decent pen kit or a batch of slims. After a year or so a good metal lathe.
     I have lost many friends and family to cancer. My foster father is dyeing of lung and kidney cancer. I don't know how much longer he will be with us, he still smokes and says to late to worry about it now.
     After next month my stress level should drop enough so that I can join you on the smoke free plan. If all else fails I will do like Craig, go to Keystone Lake and find an island have friends drop me and supplies for a month and fishing gear. Tell lake patrol I'm there and why.
     He's smoke free three years now.
Good Luck, Mark


----------



## capcrnch (May 22, 2010)

I've been a quitter/starter/quitter multiple times in life.
The thing that helps me to succeed is to change habits..
They say when you get that craving and crankiness, do something that you wouldn't do while smoking.. ie, if you smoked while turning, you have to walk away from the lathe when that craving hits. 
Certain things you just can't avoid doing.. Like driving.. For that, I kept a pack of straws in my Jeep and when I got that craving, I cured the oral fixation by chewing on a straw.

It's certainly not easy. Though it is a physical addiction, the mental factor is huge. You've got to have your mind right to succeed!


----------



## RAdams (May 22, 2010)

seawolf said:


> Congrats. Hang in there. At 30.00 a carton for the cheap smokes that’s the price of a decent pen kit or a batch of slims. After a year or so a good metal lathe.
> I have lost many friends and family to cancer. My foster father is dyeing of lung and kidney cancer. I don't know how much longer he will be with us, he still smokes and says to late to worry about it now.
> After next month my stress level should drop enough so that I can join you on the smoke free plan. If all else fails I will do like Craig, go to Keystone Lake and find an island have friends drop me and supplies for a month and fishing gear. Tell lake patrol I'm there and why.
> He's smoke free three years now.
> Good Luck, Mark


 


That right there sounds like the perfect plan! Make one of those little hand powered lathes and take a skew with you! A month of basking in the sun, and turning green tree limbs into toothpicks!! Only problem for me would be that i woulldnt want to leave!!


----------



## Daniel (May 22, 2010)

Ron, Hope you made it through day 2. You are two third of the way through breaking the "addiction" That part only takes 3 days Nicotine free to break. that is the achy physical stuff. It is the "Habit that lingers after that, but is usually what causes people to fail. So Many people Never really get their mind wrapped around just what it is they are fighting. and with a foe as difficult as Cigarettes. I believe it is all the more important to Know your enemy. So much of our lives are a product of Habit. we wake up from habit, eat at approx the same time each day from habit. Often go to work and do what feels like mindless tasks because they have all become habit. Come home take the same shower, washing with the same routine, and even have a selection of normal meals that we cook at home when we could have almost an endless variety.
In a huge way our lives are not only easier because we rely on habit, but in some cases our lives are actually dependent on it. imagine waking every day and having to learn to make a new breakfast, or having a new unfamiliar job to go to. For the most part Habit is something we need and our minds and bodies accept it as a good and necessary thing. Even the bad ones. We have a very strong force in us to keep and maintain our habits regardless of them being good or bad.
I ask you to read this and contemplate on what it means about breaking a habit. Understand it as well as you can. Because this is now the enemy you are in contention with.
Habits take 21 days to break. there are some things you can do to help.
1. find a different but similar activity to replace the habit with. suck on lollipops, chew on toothpicks. start biting your nails. at first this will not seem to help at all. but it will be having an effect even if you don't know it.
2. you can tell yourself that the urges are only in your head. Do this again and again. Studies have shown that 16 repetitions of a behavior can completely alter our mental and physical reaction to a stimulus. I suspect I may have lost you with that statement. So here is an example. Lets say you are afraid of snakes. If I can convince you to hold a snake once. it will help in retraining your mental and emotional reaction to the presence of one. But if I can get you to hold a snake on 16 separate occasions. Your original fear of them will be completely gone. it will have been obliterated.
Now I am not certain this will work perfectly for the urge to smoke, a lot requires on your ability to imagine and stay focused. But you may very well want to try this.
Go get about two dozen of whatever you want to use, it really does not matter. Also get some music that your really like. You know that tape of all your oldies but goodies. all those sounds that really got your foot tapping sort of stuff. what we want to do is flood your senses as much as possible. Your wife screaming at you from the other room would work also, but I think you will enjoy my way better. So lets say you chose 24 snickers bars. every time you think about a cigarette I want you to grab a candy bar. turn on your tape and really concentrate on letting your self be carried away by the music as you eat the candy. It does not matter what you eat. it can be a carrot, a fist full of dried cereal or whatever. just whatever it is make sure it is your favorite. If you can do something that is visual along with this even better. what you are trying to do is overwhelm you senses. Sight, sound, smell, taste and feeling with any other stimulus you can find. but it needs to be the same one every time. 16 repetitions according to the studies I know of say you will completely obliterate the urge to smoke and replace it with wanting to listen to music and eat carrots. Seriously. but you have to do it right. you can't really be thinking of how much you want a cigarette while doing it. you can't imaging the carrot is really a cigarette either. you have to think about what you are eating and really be liking it.
Okay now I know you are thinking I am cracked a little or something. So at the risk of violating the PG13 code here I will share with you the actual University studies that support this. Warning it is of a sexual nature so I will keep it as clinical as i possibly can. 
It has been demonstrated that men of College age can and have been trained repeatedly and reliably to be aroused at the sight of a jar of pennies. the purpose of using sexual urges to demonstrate just how powerful this technique is is that Sexual urges are at the very core and considered some of our deepest and most ingrained natural urges. smoking is also a product of urge. But Sexual urges are tied to our very basic ability to reproduce. they are extremely difficult to alter. If you would like details on exactly how this jar of pennies thing was accomplished I will be happy to provide details privately. otherwise it requires descriptions that are not PG13 friendly. I will for now say that it worked, it worked every time, and it worked well.

So for now get that CD, some sort of munchy and hopefully something that you have a strong reaction to looking at. If you have the urge to smoke once an hour, and you do it right. you can end those urges in 16 hours.

At the very least Good luck I am rooting for you and you are now only 18 days from beating the very hardest part of all this. The good news is it gets a little easier each day. After 21 days the habit is broken and from then on it is nothing more than making a choice each day. It may not feel that way. but that really is the truth. there is no longer any mental or physical reason to desire a smoke after that.

I know of one other mess with your mind technique. But I will only share it if this attempt fails because it requires that you continue to smoke and I don't want to do anything to encourage you to have even one more cigarette. it is also not nearly as effective as the stuff I described above.


----------



## RAdams (May 22, 2010)

That all makes sense i guess. I am definately willing to try it because the price is perfect for this treatment! My Insurance will even cover it and everything!! 


I did end up having a couple of puffs while playing video games last night, but as soon as i realized what i was doing, i put the smoke out, and my buddy snatched it out of the ashtray and finished it all the while giving me a little mean mug. 

I have noticed that sitting here at the computer is the worst, but that works out good for the science experiment! I can put my headphones on and grab a cupcake and sit at the computer and look at Skiprat's pens!


----------



## Gin N' Tonic (May 22, 2010)

RAdams said:


> Anyway, I could use some inspiring words, or stories of people that have quit...




Inspiring words.

Every pack of butts you don't smoke could buy a pen kit!

The physical addiction to nicotine is over in 72 hours If you make it through the first 72 and then go back it's because you're weak!!!!

I smoked for 22 years and quit cold turkey.

95% of the people that I know who have quit and stayed off the butts have quit COLD TURKEY!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!                                 

You will begin to feel much better within a couple of weeks. You will begin to notice how much better food tastes. 

You won't stink! (at least of cigarette smoke)


Advice:


Think Celery.

Buy celery and cut it up into 4"-5" pieces and eat it every time you feel the urge to smoke. Sugar free gum also helps.


Remember this:


You CAN do this!

Be strong, not weak.

Think of the pen kit for every pack not smoked.

Get help from friends and family to quit,

Finally,

Make up your mind that YOU WILL NOT let cigaretts rob you of money and health. Kick them to the curb.


Both you and I KNOW that you can do this so get off your tucus and quit already!


I wish you the best.


----------



## David Keller (May 22, 2010)

Uh, Ron, the few puffs last night counts against the free blanks offer.  Now we are back to the start of the three month timeline.  FYI, I started throwing some stuff together for when you make it to the finish line...  Quit for good and you'll find out what it is.


----------



## PenMan1 (May 22, 2010)

Ron:
Set short term goals. You don't have to say "I'm never going to smoke again" say and mean, "I will not smoke, today". After day 7 or 8 most of the nicotine leaves your body. So, concentrate on EACH day until day 8. On day 8 the physical withdraw is about over, then is becomes about breaking the HABIT. After day 8, try have a carrot or drinking a glass of water, etc, anything to change the bad habit for a good one. After day 8, you chances of staying quit doubles. After day 22, your chances of staying quit doubles again.

If you do slip, DON'T start smoking again. Just say "I slipped and I'll do better from here on". If you start building up the nicotine in your system, you have to start all over and it gets harders.

A two pack a day smoker spends $10 on cigarettes per day. A two packer over 10 years will end up spending over $100 per day in added health care costs, higher insurance premiums, etc. That's $36,500 per year or $365,000 over 10 years (assuming you didn't invest this money and no interest). 

Good luck! P.S. and STAY OUT OF BARS for the first 6 months!


----------



## ericw95 (May 22, 2010)

Over on Facebook, I have high school classmates that are going through this as well.  Someone that quit 14 years ago suggested not counting the days.  She found that when she thought of how long it had been, her craving to cave was greatest.


----------



## Jgrden (May 22, 2010)

One of the things that helped me eliminate the urge was to recount the number of days I had NOT smoked.


----------



## Fred (May 23, 2010)

Ron, GOOD FOR YOU!

Now, whenever the desire comes close to getting you to light up I would suggest that you go down to your local cancer treatment center and go into the waiting room and look around. 

Sit down and spend as much time as is necessary for reality to kick your ass! Everyone in there for treatment will be coughing their heads off, pulling around an oxygen tank, many will look like they just can't go another step, etc. Walk back into the treatment rooms and look at all the misery present. Look also at the misery on the faces of their loved one, especially the kids!!!

If that view isn't enough ... then come home and think of all the years you won't be spending with the rest of your family and friends. Not to mention the expense of your future medical bills.

I listened to my mother cough all day and all night long for two years until she died in my arms late one evening. Doctor's comment, "She just wouldn't listen!"

DAMN TO HELL ALL CIGARETTES! (Sorry!)


----------



## RAdams (May 23, 2010)

Fred, 

I have spent more than my fair share in chemo therapy treatment rooms, and 3D conformal radiation treatment facilities, and Pediatric cancer specialists, and MRI technicians, and the list goes...

I proudly wear a tattoo on my rib cage of my daughter. She is standing in front of an MRI machine, with a pistol in her hands. The pistol is putting a hole through a big gray blob of a cancer tumor. The original artwork hangs in her living room. 

I did this tattoo when she was 18 years old. She had been fighting Oligodendroglioma (Brain cancer) for months. Daily two hour car rides to treatment. Constant sickness. Couldn't get out of bed. She used my tattoo as a symbol of strength. The original hung just beside her bed the entire time she was going through treatment. Every now and then she would ask to see my copy. She would look at it and smile. 

She recently underwent her third major brain surgery after the tumor returned. She is 22 now and the new chemo is even worse than the first. As if that all isn't enough, she just enrolled in Fall classes, and her adopted daughter just turned a year old. Her husband works and goes to school, so she does alot of her own housework and takes care of the baby. Of course she has lots of support, I live 7 miles away, and she is next door to her in-laws. 


Anyway..... As you can see, I put in my time hanging with a cancer patient every day, Which is a big part of why i am doing what i am doing. I will make it because my motivation is strong. If she can do what she does on a daily basis, then i am a punk if i cant stop smoking. 


Sorry.... I don't like to talk about my personal life publicly, but i wanted to share that to let you kind folks know that i do have personal good reasons to stop. With the help of my family anf friends (THANKS!!!) I will make it!


----------



## Jgrden (May 23, 2010)

Ron:
I am amazed and stunned after reading this story. I remain humbled. If I EVER might light of your strength or devotion, set me straight. I hope you can focus on quitting but you need something positive to takes its place. Carry a magazine, book, pen and journal and write a friend.... anything. Prayer beads like the Greeks toss around in their hands. You are already a tough, courageous and dedicated fellow. I know you can do this.


----------



## seamus7227 (May 23, 2010)

everyone has said great stuff, so to spare you more details, I quit with a pill called chantix, Jan 10, 2010, been 4 months, i eat like a horse, i've gained about 20-30 lbs., and i think about smoking everyday. A good buddy told me like this: Think of it like any other addition self help, you can never have just one.


----------



## Fred (May 23, 2010)

Ron ... Yep! You have seen and been through a lot with your daughter. I definitely wish her the best.

The two of you have got to hang in there and support each other and with your stated attitude you can overcome the addiction of the poison of nicotine. :biggrin:

We here will dull all your tools if you slip backwards. Heck, someone might even come and cut your hair all off ... and they what would you do with your beads?

Stay strong!


----------

