Giving it up

LeeB · July 16, 2011, 12:44:45 PM

Toughest drug I ever put down and I did some real dozies when I was younger.

LeeB · July 27, 2011, 01:55:29 PM

Made two years today. Still can't breath because I got so fat,but it beats coughing and hacking.

submarinesailor · July 27, 2011, 02:40:06 PM

Good for you. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Bruce

Raider Bill · July 27, 2011, 02:59:39 PM

Way to go Brother!!!! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Norm · July 27, 2011, 05:46:53 PM

Way to go Lee!

Magicman · July 27, 2011, 07:59:22 PM

Congratulations on that second anniversary. Now you stand a better chance of celebrating all of the ones to come. ;D

LeeB · August 15, 2015, 11:17:33 AM

Six and counting.

Magicman · August 15, 2015, 02:46:08 PM

And you have, four times. Congratulations my friend. 8)

LeeB · August 15, 2015, 02:58:53 PM

Sure would be nice if the cough would go away. I guess the damage was done.
>:(

PC-Urban-Sawyer · August 16, 2015, 03:10:41 PM

LeeB,

After eight years cold turkey my smoker's cough is pretty well gone. Before I quit I was smoking three packs a day for almost forty years and had a pretty bad hacking cough. Just keep holding the line, one day at a time.

Herb

Raider Bill · August 17, 2015, 08:35:27 AM

I'm at 6 and still off them too. I do get the urge when I smell a menthol walk by but been holding strong!!

LeeB · August 17, 2015, 11:48:23 AM

Only time I get a hankering any more is when I smell a good cigar. I find cigarette smell somewhat repulsive now. Lindy took me to the airport a few months ago and we stopped for lunch on the way. The place wasn't open yet so we were waiting in the parking lot. One of the stores in the strip mall was a men's gift store. She asked if I wanted to go in and have a look. I could smell the cigars from outside. I told her no way was I stepping in there. Way too much temptation.

Raider Bill · August 17, 2015, 12:20:23 PM

Another benefit to not smoking is I don't like to go to bars anymore. Walk in and that nasty stale smoke smell nauseates me.

LeeB · August 17, 2015, 12:23:28 PM

Closest bar to where I live is 45 minutes away. No problem there. Only time I ever go in a bar anymore is in the airport.

Chuck White · August 17, 2015, 08:05:09 PM

I consider myself one of the lucky ones, I gave up smoking "Cold Turkey" back in the Spring of 1977. EDIT: Only 28 y/o at the time. It's been 38 years now!

I had the urge for quite a while, but never lit another one.

Just keep telling yourself, "the need to stay away from them is a lot stronger than the desire to have one" and you'll be good!

isawlogs · August 21, 2015, 07:35:34 AM

The stale smell of cigarettes smoking at the entrance of buildings here really gets to me, in all public buildings here , ya can not smoke any more, so they gather up outside and have at it. That smell they leave behind I hate. The smell of a burning cigarette... I like, still do after almost nine years.... I don't have any gravings for them anymore.

lowpolyjoe · August 21, 2015, 11:00:22 AM

I didn't read the whole thread - but I'm glad to see so many of you guys kicked it.

Many of my friends smoked but thankfully almost all have quit now.

Adding more government regulation is always a tricky thing, but I don't mind most of the restrictions put on smoking in the past 15 years. Seems like more coming all the time:

http://6abc.com/health/nj-bill-would-make-smoking-with-kids-in-car-a-ticketable-offense/763782/

NH-Murph · August 25, 2015, 07:59:18 AM

I've gotta be around the year mark now since I quit. I made the mistake of starting to smoke wood tip cigars (which I inhaled like cigarettes) thinking it would help me kick the habit... Big negative on that plan. I wound up WAY more hooked on nicotine. I can't believe how much better I feel! I climb the 9 story staircases to get to the top of boilers without so much as a ghasp! I'm starting to taste things much more too. I just stopped one day and never looked back. 8) It's a good test to one's willpower, but well worth the little bit of suffering at the initial week or two.

LeeB · August 25, 2015, 10:34:30 AM

Good for you. I can personally attest to the fact that cigars don't help. I thought I would do the same think in 1985. I smoked cigars until I finally quit in 2009. :(

sandhills · August 25, 2015, 10:54:27 AM

My dad smoked since he was 16, switched to a pipe to try and quit then turned to chew. He quit chewing around 18 years ago, unfortunately his son (me) hasn't found the willpower yet, I don't smoke but chew. My hats off to all of you that have quit. I often think you weren't born this way, you lived without it for years, why am I doing this and can't go back to not doing it? Just a weakness I guess. My wife used that Chantix? stuff to quit smoking, other than the weird dreams it worked, she can't even stand the smell anymore, I tried it to quit chewing and all I got out of it was the weird dreams :D.

gww · August 25, 2015, 02:31:50 PM

I am a dedicated smoker that misses the 70's when no one cared what anyone did. I personally dislike the regulations aimed at trying to stop me and take more the mark twain type attitude that I will smoke one but no more then 40 per day.(he lived pretty long). I am not that worried about what anyone else does but intend to enjoy my cigarettes untill I die (early or late) I might not live as long as others or as long as I could but have out lived many already. I am a hermit and maby more so since sociaty has turned against my bad habit but thats fine. My last four years at work kinda sucked since sociaty turned on me but now thats over but I do feel for those still stuck with bad rules. I will say that quitting smokeing is probly one of the hardest things those that want to do it face. I wish them well in that endever. I remember visiting the hospital in the 70s and smoking in the room. I was in the hospital for about 10 days and they jacked me around and made no provisions for me to smoke. I was glad to leave and would rather die then end up in a home where things that matter to me are taken away.

I guess it takes all kinds to make the world what it is. I hope they don't make me drink fat free drinks and take my bacon away either.

Good luck guys.
gww

LeeB · August 15, 2016, 06:28:16 AM

Still hanging in there. Now past the 7 year mark.

thecfarm · August 15, 2016, 06:36:58 AM

You all are doing great!!

Chuck White · August 15, 2016, 07:20:12 AM

I used to smoke y e a r s ago, and quit cold turkey in 1977.

Started at around 18 and quit at 28 y/o.

Few years later (1982), started dipin' and quit that in 1995, cold turkey.

The dipin' was harder for me to get over, but I had the will power to hang in there and quit!

So, wishing you all good luck in quitting, and staying quit.