A Darn Good Reason
- I started the patch three days ago. Having purchased it about a month earlier, I have continually put quitting off for one reason or another. After the events of this past weekend (Connecticut shootings) , I looked at my two young children and thanked God for their lives. It then occurred to me- why am I still slowly killing myself? I started the patch and after three days have felt better and more whole than I have in years. I know it's early in the process, but I feel like I have started in the right state of mind and will continue to succeed every day!
- —Guest Mariah
Constant Sinus Problems
- I am tired of sounding like a pig all the time. Lol what a description huh?
- —aozzie99
It Was Time
- When I smoked my first cigarette, I never dreamed it would become a 35 year habit. I tried several times to quit but never seriously. When I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis at age 50, I finally grew up by quitting that same day as I knew the next diagnosis would be much worse. It has been two years since Dec 5th and I feel great!
- —Guest Michele
Finally
- A dear friend passed away from lung cancer. I remember her saying when she was diagnosed that she has tried to quit smoking but it was so hard to do. I am now 7 1/2 months smoke free. Feel GREAT! This is so worth it!
- —Guest Penelope
27 Yrs Old and Already a 14 Year Smoker
- I started smoking daily at 13. I am now 27, a mother of two and feeling the health effects of smoking. My youngest child has asthma and my smoking makes it worse. I am so close to being a non smoker ( a pack lasts a week) but I can't get past the act of holding a cigarette. Any suggestions?
- —Guest formychildren
Smoke Free For Over a Year Now
- I quit Sept 2011 when I went to an Ovarian Cancer walk (which my mom had died of). I am in my early 50's and smoked for over 35 years. At the event, I was smoking around all these grieving people (myself included) who had lost someone to this terrible cancer. I lit up as they walked and I just sat - I sat because I had no energy or breathing capacity. I stopped smoking the next day - I was so horrified that I would smoke in front of these grieving people and the fact that my mom had died of cancer and never smoked in her life. What were my chances? I used that day as my inspiration and have been smoke free since. GO COLD TURKEY! It's the only way - trust me, I've tried it all. Good luck everyone. Use a mantra like NOPE (Never One Puff Ever!).
- —Guest justaquitter
Living
- Decided to just get it over with and quit tomorrow. No more excuses! I found this forrum, and for the first time I don't feel alone. People talk about alcohol and drug addiction, but people forget about the internal struggles smokers go through. I have been a chain smoker for 16 yrs., and recently my youngest son was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and I blame myself. My lifestyle choices were always about what I did to me, but I forgot about my family who I also put in harms way without even asking if that's what they wanted. Well no more I want to control me, and be in charge of my future. I want to see my boys become men, and have beautiful families of their own. I wish there was a way to make it all easier, but reading some of these inspirational and courageous stories gives me the strength to succeed. So thank you for inspiring me to not give up, and to keep fighting for my right to choose!
- —Guest Spiderlily1
No Laughing Matter
- I stopped smoking November 20, 2012 for several reasons. One that sticks out in my mind is when I would laugh at anything I was coughing. What kind of addiction takes away your laughter. That's what life became to me "controlling my happiness" so I would not cough all over people or give the impression that I was contagious. Second, years (I lost count) of sinus issues that would never go away. I've had sinus trouble so long I don't remember what normal is. Third, the ability to walk up a flight of stairs. I'm in my early 40's, why can't I walk up a flight of stairs? Lastly, my Dad passed on to his glory due to a form of pancreatic cancer last year. I don't know if it is fear or health or both. But it was the last straw. Now that I'm fighting the good fight, I don't want to start at day 1, 2 and 3 ever again. It was rough. It's still is hard but I'm waiting for positive changes to come me way. The curiosity alone of the benefits sometimes keeps me going.
- —Guest Scorpia 1116
Heart Problems
- 38 years, 2 packs per day, innumerable quits, now have an implanted cardiac defibrillator that sends a tazer like shock for irregular beats. Decided I'd rather quit than take the chance.
- —alonenate
I Want to Breathe!
- I have been smoke and nicotine free for 19 days now. Never believed I could do it. I'm amazed at how much easier and clearer my breathing is already. I hated the fact that I was ruining what looks and life I had left and terrifying my family, one fag at a time.
- —Guest happy
I QUIT! Oct. 3, 2012
- I took my mom to the ER for trouble breathing turned out she had throat cancer. CANCER. I can't get that moment out of my head. Imagine being in the room with someone you love and hear a DR tell them they have cancer? How could I continue to smoke after that? I will never FORGET that day, my heart was broken. As I type this I am sitting in the waiting room right now while my mom is having her first session of chemo. IT IS SCARY. It has been a rough past 2 months, watching my mom go through a complete laryngectomy, and learning how to care for this type of surgery and all that comes after it. Very hard. I'm scared and I know she is. We will be done with radiation and chemo by the end of Jan. I wish so bad that it was Jan already. I myself smoked for over 20 yrs. damn. sounds long. I pray that I haven't damaged my body. Its scary. I hope my mom can make it through this...she is all I have.
- —mommywantstoquit
The Lies
- No one knew I smoked at work...I hid it well, I never took smoke breaks, and waited to get home to smoke. One day one of my co-workers thought I was sick because I was coughing. Then, I started having a cracked voice, and clearing my throat all the time. I was tired of living the lie, and having cough, cracked voice, and knew it was only going to get worse. I am 60 days into being a real non-smoker. YAY!
- —Guest ThatGirl
For Me, My Kids, My Wife, My Mom
- I was tired of looking at myself in the mirror and asking "what the hell am I doing?" I love an active life but won't be able to do any adventuring if I continue to smoke. I do not want my wife and kids to watch me die at an early age because of tobacco. And I definitely do not want my mother to have to endure that after losing my Dad to lung cancer 10 years ago. I am now 7 months smoke free and proud on the day of the great American smoke out!
- —Guest roadrunner
Fear of Mouth Cancer
- The stinging of tongue and mouth causing fear of cancer. I had a friend who had it and by the end he couldn't use his mouth. I know I don't want to die that way.
- —Guest karen beth
Smoking Hurts!
- I was up to three packs a day and had smoked for 45 years. I was getting headaches, coughing all the time, and finally my esophagus hurt too much...so I'd have to stop smoking for about four hours before I could light up again. I knew I would get esophageal cancer, so I had to quit. It doesn't matter whether I would have actually gotten it or not...I believed I would get it and that set the wheels in motion to learn about how to quit. Thank God for this forum. Researching the internet about how to quit led me here!
- —Guest Karen
