My life as a smoker
I was a typical 14 year old that thought smoking was cool, so just like so many others back in the 70's, I smoked, and for the next 37 years it was non-stop except when I was pregnant with my two children.
My job had me in my car several hours a day. As I drove from patient to patient, I had nothing else to do but smoke. Because of this, I was smoking up to 2 and half packs a day.
When I would arrive at my patient's home, they would complain that I smelled of cigarette smoke, but I didn't believe that since I never noticed it myself.
Why and how I quit smoking
I do home health as a living, so most people I saw were either sick or recuperating from an illness. Some were on oxygen due from smoking all their lives. One woman I worked with looked me right in the eye and said "I wish to God I would have stopped a long time ago. Now look at me, I can't breathe unless this machine pumps air in my nose."
I'm ashamed to admit that the ever-increasing price of cigarettes was the motivation my hubby of 21 years I used to quit. I went on Chantix, he went cold turkey and he smoked for 40 years! We've been free for over 18 months and couldn't be happier!
