"I started running on July 26, and haven’t stopped yet!"

"Life got better and better in the nonsmoking sense."

I quit March 1st, 2005, at 11:00 pm. I waited until right before bedtime and smoked a whole lot. I had come across the Why Quit site, but they were too strict for me. Plus due to computer problems, they never accepted me (Thank God for that one! LOL). I found this forum and lurked for a while. I didn’t want to post until I was sure this one was the one.

I first posted on March 14th, 2005. It took me a while to get used to the pace of the forum, to answering everyone, to congratulating everyone. But after a few days, I simply couldn’t survive without it. I was glued to the computer at least 8-10 hours a day, truly. I read every post. I got to know most people. When I had to be for a couple of days without computer access, I would get really nervous. My worst week was week five (I was never one for the "icky threes"), when I got a very calm, very mild depression that lasted about a week. Then around month 4 things started rolling!

July 9th I was inducted to the WOS, and that certainly made me proud of being here. In June I had come up with the idea for the dots, of which I am really proud (can’t you tell? LOL).

I started running on July 26, and haven’t stopped yet! Life got better and better in the nonsmoking sense. I have become more sensitive, I really think I am a better person, not in the sense of congratulating myself, don’t take it the wrong way. I mean that I really believe I have become more aware of people, more understanding, more preoccupied with other people’s problems. My life has changed, for the better I think.

Life has also changed because of circumstances beyond my control. All my babies are gone to University since September, leaving us all alone... I lost my job in October, and I have been acting as housewife for the past few months. I am hoping to get back in the workforce soon again. Life goes on.

Downside to quitting? Only a minor one, which is the weight gain. I have gained so much weight that is not funny, but I am starting to lose it now. It doesn’t bother me so much anymore. It is better than smoking and it will eventually go...almost 9 lbs are already gone.

I owe a lot to the people in the forum. I wouldn’t be here without you. You really mean the world to me, and I am saying that from the bottom of my heart. The picture I chose for my one-year key came to me only about two weeks ago. I wanted to show you what is important to me, what makes life worth living. I didn’t look for a fancy key… well, actually I did, but then one of those cartoon light bulbs lit up inside my brain and I told myself: "what is the most important key in your life?" answer: my house key. So I took a picture of it surrounded by the most important people in my life: my DH and my kids. Notice the keychain is a STAR, lol, and THAT wasn’t done on purpose! (By the way the picture of my dh and me was taken way back when, in Ireland, in 1980) I am really glad to be here and really happy I made it. Enough!

Published: 3-12-2006