Carrie's Quit Story

After my divorce I started dating and would refrain from kissing anyone too intimately in fear of them detecting the smell coming up from my lungs into my mouth. I resorted to a quick peck on the cheek. I also noticed that every man I met did NOT care to date a smoker (even though I did not admit to being one.)

I watched the news of Peter Jenning's death and was extremely disturbed by it...but unfortunately, not enough to make me quit. It did amplify my worry of getting cancer (this was always in the back of my mind due to my habit).

When 2006 rolled around, I bought a box of nicotine patches, since I promised myself I would quit before I turn 40 (this year). The box sat on my dresser for weeks. I was confident that when I felt ready I would take the next step. One night I went out with a friend and we smoked and smoked and smoked all night. The next morning I woke up sick from it. I put the patch on and it's been TWENTY-FIVE days since I had my last cigarette. This is the longest I've gone in over ten years (when I was pregnant with my son.)

In the first week I found myself going through the motions of my old habits (making guests enter through the front door, making sure I had mints)...only to realize that I didn't have to do that anymore. It was such a liberating experience. I could hug my mom tightly and I could passionately kiss my date at the end of the night without any worries.

I stopped clearing my throat, my teeth seem whiter, and I haven't gained an ounce of weight. I feel like I've been freed of some demon inside me and just now realized how perceptive my sense of smell is. I can tell when someone's had a cigarette even though they've done their best to mask the odor (as I used to). Makes me wonder how many people knew I smoked but never said anything.

I'm grateful for this website. It really has reiterated the benefits of quitting, and I can go into my 40th year on this earth and feel confident that I'm doing my best to stay healthy. Thanks for reading and good luck to anyone who is willing to take on this life-saving step!

Update: Carrie now has several smoke free months under her belt:

I am happy to say that I am still smoke-free. I never touched another cigarette after I decided to quit. I'm going on five months now, and honestly, I don't even think about it.

In being a single mother, I found that quitting smoking has even given me opportunities to date a whole new variety of men that otherwise I would not have had a chance with (most men I found were not willing to date a smoker). I've met a wonderful athletic type man with whom I spend a lot of time biking and hiking. I'm really concentrating on the good things in life.

I just returned from a long weekend at the beach and remembered how I used to sneak outside behind the cottage to light up a cigarette while my son was inside occupied with something else. It was a constant strategic plan of "how can I sneak one in" and "where can I hide this one cigarette?" This past weekend was nothing but planning fun and activities without any worry of accommodating an addiction.

I feel so FREE...there's nothing like it. That patch truly does work. I've been telling friends that smoke to give it a try. They've got nothing to lose!