It works for me.

That way you can do alot more giggleing and playing the quarter's game.

Me? Giggling? I have NO idea what you're talking about, Mig.

That makes two of us. You just look out for bitches wearing boustiers.

SB,

Good luck to you. Feel free to vent or even "bitch". I'll understand. If it's any consolation, the first week is horrible and it gradually gets better week after week.

For me, June 15 will be one year already. I can't believe I did it. Do I think about smoking yes. I still feel drawn to cigaret smoke, but no longer feel the need to have one. I can live with occasionally getting a little urge as long as I know I can overcome it.

Good luck!!!


TIS

She don't have to worry about that this year. If some ho hits on Mr.Babe this year I'll knock the living shit out of her.

Thanks, TIS. That means a lot to me.

Me?? I have no idea what you mean, SC.

Me thinks SB has a memory problem tonight

It goes hand-in-hand with the drinking.

3 weeks today without a smoke. it feels pretty good.

ds

Good for you DS. Every week gets easier. Unfortunately we gotta go thru the torture of withdrawal but as you know it does get easier, just takes time. Continued luck to you.

TIS

Keep it up Smitty. Fight the good fight.

I put the patch on today. So far, the cravings are not out of control, but it's only been 4 hours. I still feel the urge, and I have to tell you that it's occupying a large part of my thought process. That said, I'm trying to negotiate the sale of a warehouse building, and I'm finding the bitchiness to be working for me!!

I used to smoke, for social standing, then gave it up because it was a waste of money. Now I sell packet after packet to others to get theirs.

I want a cigarette. Just one, or two, or maybe a pack and then a carton or two. That wouldn't be cheating, would it?????

Hang in there SB!!! I know it's really really rough. If it's any comfort at all, it DOES get easier each day.

Btw, I just passed the one year mark (June 15) of being clean and sober so to speak.


TIS

TIS, that's wonderful!! I'm so proud of you. Actually, when I was pregnant, I quit cold turkey and the cravings were HORRIBLE. The patch has really relieved a lot of it, made it much more tolerable.

I am feeling sort of dizzy and light-headed, but that's supposed to be typical as well. I also am not nearly as hungry as I was last time, but I'm coughing like crazy from a post-nasal drip. That could just be my allergies, though.

I hope I don't have the bad dreams associated with the patch, because I would rather not take it off at night. I started with a Step 2 patch and I plan to do the Step 3 as well.

I had to call DMC today to talk me through my drive home from work, because without the girls in the car, that was my smoking time. That was the worst part so far.

Ha ha...Boy, can I relate..

My drive to/from work is about an hour. I kept a pack of cigs in my car for a couple months after I stopped smoking. Didn't smoke them but I guess you'd call it a comfort just having them there (only a smoker can grasp that concept). During my drive home I probably use to smoke 3 cigarets. I had three particular intersections in which I would pull out a cig and just pretend to take a hit and hold it. Unsatisfying? Yes. But I did that three times during my journey. After a week or so I didn't pull out the cigaret, but still kept them in my car, and would simply glance down at them and waited for the craving to pass. I did come very close a couple times with the cig in my mouth and the lighter in my hand but for whatever reason, I fought the urge.

Now, one year later, yes I still think about it. Cigaret smoke smells good, that's all there is to it. It probably always will. But, I don't intend to light again and feel really confident that I won't.

TIS

I could never have had them that close and not light up. I made sure I had no cigarettes anywhere near me. I even asked the guys at work if we could go for Chinese instead of our usual deli, because the deli sells cigarettes.

I did pretend to smoke my pen several times throughout the day, though.

I hope and pray that I have the resolve that you have today. I think that's wonderful. I was hoping for a whiff outside the office today, but it was raining and there were no smokers outside. So, that doesn't sound ridiculously insane? I also made everyone at work smell me because I was so happy that I don't smell like smoke.

Oh yes, the "whiff". To this day, I pass by someone smoking, and my nose starts sniffing like a dog. My daughter said, "that smells good?" Ha ha!!! If that's the only after effect, I'll live with that.

It might be good because I'm hearing that very soon they will ban smoking from all condos/apartments in certain areas. I'm glad I quit, but that really sucks for those who do smoke? Where the hell do you go now to light up?


TIS

Like I said before, just stick it out, because everytime you "cheat" it's just going to make you more prone to see any harm in it in the future. And with the patch on, it just sort of became a psychological thing, and it lost all of its efficiency.

The coughing is probably something to do with quitting. They say you cough up flem for some days after cutting cigarettes out of your routine as your throat repairs itself, which makes sense, because it seems to get me everytime I try to quit.

And I used to sleep with the patch on, and it's not that I had bad dreams, just really surreal ones. They're were actually sort of enjoyable, considering the weird guy I am. But then I thought about it, and you're actually getting more nicotine than you do when you smoke when you sleep with it on, because that's sort of like smoking in your sleep.

Thanks, LLC. I appreciate the support. TIS, if you own your condo (I once did and I remember that you own the interior walls and the association owns the exterior), how can they possibly stop you from lighting up in your own home?? That's ridiculous! And impossible to enforce, I would think. And it's WAY too Big Brother for me!!!!

I read today that if you can go 2 weeks without cheating, your chances of success go up tremendously.

I don't want to take the patch off at night because I'm afraid that the cravings will be out of control in the morning! I'll look forward to some surreal dreams then.

SB,

Not smoking any longer I didn't listen as closely to the details as I would have at one time. BUT, I believe that those who smoke in their apartment/condo NOW can smoke but as these people leave/move they will enforce the no smoking until gradually it becomes non-smoking. At least that's the way I understand it. I am guessing they can tell you not to smoke outside, but can't tell you not to smoke inside. I don't think that's fair either. You should be able to do what you want in your own home (as long as it's legal)no matter what kind of home you have.

TIS

Crazy-ass world. The government will never outlaw tobacco because they make too much damn money off it. However, they will pass laws to make you feel like a leper at the same time. They recently passed an extra $1.25 per pack tax on cigarettes here in NY. They pass these taxes without objection because it's OK to tax smokers. They're all idiots with a death wish!! It really pisses me off that the world has made smokers into social pariahs, and people feel perfectly comfortable coming up to complete strangers to rant and rave at them about their bad habit. Would you go up to scold some obese person chowing down on a couple of Big Macs??

I used to smoke a pipe. When I quit in 1990 (no patch then), the first reaction I noticed was a huge increase in energy. I don't know why, but I suddenly felt like I had to walk, run, shout, etc. My kids were scared of me. I started taking long walks after dinner just to dissipate the energy.

Alas, another and unfortunate effect was that I gained weight. To be fair, I always have had a weight problem, but it'd been under control for a long time. My doctor told me that it was because my metabolism changed when I quit smoking. But I told her I thought there was another cause:

When I got restless, I lit up the pipe. There's a lot to keep you busy if you smoke a pipe: knock the ashes out, clean the bowl and stem, fill up, light up, etc. After quitting, there was nothing to do but...eat. The Dr. agreed. So, I started eating high energy, low fat snacks. My favorite was raisins. They worked to help control weight. But they caused another problem: tooth decay. Suddenly I started needing root canals...you can't win. But at least I haven't gone back to smoking.

Smoking provides an oral gratification, so substituting food only makes sense. I'm trying to chew gum. Also, nicotine is an appetite suppressant, so an increased appetite would be natural as well.

A friend of mine was overweight. She decided to quit smoking, and she talked to her doctor about it. He said, "That's great, but whatever you do, don't gain weight!" She said that she knew she was in trouble when her doctor was more concerned about her weight than her smoking. She joined a gym, lost 50 lbs. AND quit smoking!

First off, LLC, there's something wrong when a 17-year-old is on the patch for chrissakes! Good for you, but still that's weird... how long could you have possibly smoked to be so addicted?? I didn't even start 'til I was 17! lol

Of course, I've been smoking longer than you've been breathing, plus incubating, plus another few years. I tell you (all) -- while OF COURSE there is a HUGE physical dependence -- it's also hugely behavioral.

I need to quit, I know that. And HUGE congrats to those here who have and who are trying to quit! You are saving your own precious lives, and not just for you, but also for your loved ones.

Me, I'm weak. Plain and simple. The gum does work, though, for cravings... I just need to set my mind straight.

Well, if you're weak, JG, then so is 90% of the smoking population. I've read that only 5-10% of quitters succeed (the number varies, depending on the website). I have to say that I've been quite pleased with the patch so far. It has made a nightmare more tolerable. It has now been 24 hours, and I was dreading waking up in the morning, figuring I would be out of my mind with the cravings. I changed my routine, stayed in bed a bit longer, and I was OK.

And no surreal dreams for me, but maybe once the patch builds up in my system!

Good for you, SB! I wish you luck!!

Thanks, sweetie. I always snuck in a cigarette in the bathroom right before showering. That was such a part of the routine that it was a really tough moment. Plus, it was the point in time when the patch was losing its effectiveness.