Long Overdue Update

Our Reviews "I really hope you are still a non-smoker. I found all of your blog entries very interesting. I hope you'll write more in the future about your journey. Best of luck to you! Mandy" Mandy mountainmachineandmotorcycle.com Get your own reviews, free traffic at

I realize that it's been a while since I've updated my blog, and I do apologize. It's been a crazy couple of weeks around here, and I just haven't found the time, nor the energy, to post anything about my progress. The review above prompted me to get my butt in gear and post something, and for that, I thank you, Mandy. You've inspired me.

I am happy to announce that, in spite of the craziness, I'm still smoke-free. Twenty-some days and counting. Seven hundred and some cigarettes not smoked. That is an astronomical number! I really had no idea i smoked that much. It's just amazing to me.

To be completely honest with you, and I don't mean to rub it in, I really don't even think about smoking all that often. You would think that a pack-and-a-half-a-day smoker would miss it at least a little bit, but I don't. It's really surprising to me most of all since when I used to smoke, just the thought of running out of cigarettes would send me into panic mode. I don't know how I did it so easily this time, or why it's not a big issue for me, but I'm happy.......and able to breathe.

I think that's what did it for me. The fact that I was scared to death because I had times that I couldn't breathe, or I'd be short of breath just trying to have a conversation. I think I made up my mind way before I quit that if I didn't, it would kill me young. And I think the fact that I feel so much better now, keeps me going and not looking back. I don't miss it. I don't think about it. I am a non-smoker, and will continue to be for the rest of my life.

Oh, and here's some more good news. My husband, who has been using those nasty little tobacco filled pouches for the last couple of years, has quit!!!! It took having the flu for a week to make it happen, but now that he's been without for four days, he says he's done. I sure hope so. Technically, the nicotine is out of his system, so it should be fairly easy. I don't know if it'll be as easy for him, but I'm going to do my best to help him along the way.

Maybe the fact that his face isn't going to fall off from cancer now that he's quit will be incentive enough to keep going. I sure hope so!

I won't lie to you about the side effects from quitting. I will tell you that I've put on a couple of pounds in the last few weeks. I'm going to have to put a stop to that pretty quick if I don't want to put on the forty pounds I lost last year, but for now, I can deal with it. I'm just going to have to put the same dedication forth that I did with quitting and it'll be alright. I'd rather be fat and a non-smoker than a smoker any day!

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I Passed The Test

It's been 16 days since I had my last cigarette. Up to this point, I have not been around anyone that smokes. I've smelled it in public, but have not been in the same vicinity as anyone smoking. I've been too afraid to.

Today, I had no choice.

It was do or die, and I was up for the challenge. I was nervous, but willing to give it my best shot.

My In-laws smoke. I believe I already told you this in a previous post. Remember? They smoke like chimneys? Both of them? You remember. Anyway, tonight we had to go to their house for a family pow-wow. My hubby's grandfather died yesterday, and we were getting together for moral support.

I was worried about going over there. They smoke in their house, and there would be no escaping it, what with the sub-zero temps outside. I would be thrown into the belly of the beast, to fight the fight alone. I would be tested..........

or so I thought.

When we got there and entered the house, it was like walking into a wall. The smoke greeted us at the door long before the In-laws. To my surprise, I was repulsed, and for a moment, unable to breathe. It was a full ten seconds before I realized I was holding my breath, and had to tell myself to breath. OK. This part of the test was easy. It stunk. My worries about the smell making me want a cigarette uncontrollably were unfounded. But, we had only just walked in the door. I still had to make it through the rest of the visit, and fight the temptation I was sure was going to come to ask to bum a smoke from my mother-in-law. Surely watching them smoke would trigger a craving inside me, and it would be hard to fight. Surely, right?

Wrong.

The longer we were there, the more I despised it. The longer we sat there, the more I wanted to leave; to get out of that smell that threatened to choke the breath from my lungs. The longer we were there, the more I could not believe that I had ever, EVER enjoyed smoking. I couldn't believe that after smoking for over twenty years, I was actually saying that I hated smoking. The moment it hit me had to be one of the proudest moments in my life. For once, I set my mind to do something, and did it. I am 100% sure that I will never smoke again.

With absolute certainty, I AM A NON-SMOKER!

Now, don't get me wrong. I do not look down on anyone that still smokes. I so totally understand where you are and why you do it. To each, his own. I would never say you're not my friend just because you smoke. I'm just saying for me, it is something I choose to live without now.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a shower. The smell is just too much........

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A Smell All Its Own

I noticed a peculiar thing this morning while taking a shower. My body wash, which I thought smelled sooooooo good when I bought it, now suddenly smells...........

not so good.

Could this be my new non-smoking nose finally voicing its opinion? Is it possible that this body wash never smelled that good, and I've been going around stinking for months? Oh, the thought!

I guess this means another smell-test in the body care aisle at Wally World next time. I love it! My husband, on the other hand, does not. I love opening and smelling all the bottles to find just the right one; and since I can't drive, my husband has to take me and stand there......and like it!

Oh thank you, my new strong-smelling nose! Thank you!

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So Proud

I just found out today that my husband is going to try to become an Ex also. He doesn't smoke anymore. He quit three years ago, but went to "chewing" those gross little pouches of tobacco. He had to. His asthma was killing him.

So, he's been chewing for a few years now, and has decided that if I can quit using tobacco, he can to. He did not buy any more chew today when he ran out. He also didn't tell me that he was attempting to quit, either. I figured it out when he was a bit quiet this evening, and I noticed that I hadn't seen him put a new chew in after we had supper. I asked him about it, and he confirmed. He's going to give it a go.

I can't lie. I'm so proud of him, I want to tell the world! I always joke around with him that his face is going to fall off because of the stuff, but to be honest, I'm serious. It scares me. Cancer scares me.

Hopefully, this will not be a concern any longer.

So, should he stick with his quit, this blog will become a two-fer. I'll track our progress simultaneously, posting the ups and downs, as I'm sure there will be, so you all can understand or commiserate with us.

This is about to get interesting!

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Observations

1. Facebook, namely Cafe World, is an excellent distraction from quitting. May quite possibly be a new addiction, though. Will have to monitor and adjust accordingly.

2. Did not even think about having a cigarette with my morning coffee this morning. Didn't dawn on me until the kids had already left for school and was enjoying cup number two. This, my friends, is what you call progress........

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Others Are Quitting, Too!

Although not inspired by my awesome quit, my sister-in-law and her husband are giving it a shot. Their decision to quit is based on a society that frowns on smokers and feels the need to charge outrageous prices for cigarettes. Their lack of funds will eventually save their lives, that is for sure!

She just told me today, and to my surprise neither one has smoked since Sunday. She didn't sound too happy about that fact, but I did my best to lift her spirits and give her a little pep talk. I think she thought I was full of shit, but I tried all the same.

As for me, today was even better than yesterday. There were two instances exactly, where I felt a small twinge of panic at not having a cigarette, but they were gone just as soon as they came. Once after eating lunch, and then once after I got supper all ready and was waiting the ten minutes or so until hubby got home from work. I used to go out in the garage during that time and smoke a cigarette or two while I waited for him to get home.

So, after 11 days, I am really starting to see life as a non-smoker. I hardly ever think about smoking, and feel the need to wash everything that has ever been touched by cigarette smoke; my coats especially. They still reek, but won't after this weekend. I'm washing them all!

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Day 10

Just a quick note before I head out the door for a night watching my oldest kick some wrestler butt.

High five! Not one piece of nicotine gum chewed today! No nicotine patch either, and of course, no cigarettes smoked! It has been a completely nicotine-free day so far!

Woo-freakin-hoo!!!!!

There have been a couple tiny cravings that came and went so fast, I'm not even sure I actually had them.

It's called progress, people! I am so excited!

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