I gingerly went for the x-ray, and once it was done, slipped my clothes back on and headed for the door. As I was leaving, wishing everyone a good weekend, my doctor came rushing out of her office, asking me to step back in so that she could speak to me.
She told me they'd found a little shadow in the lung area and wanted me to immediately do a CT scan. Shaken to the core, I did as she instructed the next day. As I was sitting in the waiting room, I looked around and saw that there were some seriously ill folks here. That's when I realized that this could really be serious.
The results from the test were negative, but I was told to come back in six months for a retest. When I did, the spot had almost disappeared. I don't know what it was -- don't want to know. I just know that it was my time to quit, and I'd gotten a message from God above. I had to take smoking cessation seriously.
At the time, my doctor didn't know what Chantix was, so I went online and purchased a pack for $169. It was worth it to me. I vowed NOPE with my heart and soul, and have ever since.
I did not want this message to be lengthy, but I do have to say one last thing. My husband had been a smoker for almost 40 years -- he started when he was 14 years old. My sense of smell has came back in full force, and each day when my husband came home from work, the smell of stale and stinky wet damp cigarettes made me walk away from him. He would come up to give me a kiss and ask how my day had gone, and I had to force myself to kiss him. I never missed an opportunity to gently remind him that he needed to quit, either. He was almost up to two packs a day, with a very nasty cough which concerned me greatly.
I am happy to report that my husband quit smoking. He hasn't picked up a cigarette since. I am so proud of him! And now I can kiss him and he doesn't taste bad. His cough is going away too.
My dogs are happy, I am happy, my husband is happy, and life is sweet. We still have our problems and ups and downs, but we have learned how to handle them without adding more stress to the situation by reaching for a smoke.
If there is anyone out there thinking about quitting or who has recently quit, please stay with the forumily. They will see you through nicotine withdrawal and help you along your way. I am sending loving energy to you right now and wishing you all great success!
